Vikings Territory Breakdown: NFL Draft Vikings O-Line

The 2022 NFL Crapshooter, I mean NFL Draft begins on Thursday, April 28, and the Vikings hold the 12th selection of the first round in that draft. That is as much certainty as we can safely predict at the time of this writing. What will the Vikings do with the 12th overall pick? Will they trade up to grab the player they want? We can pretty much speculate that they won’t trade down with the pick to secure several more seventh-round picks. At least if the words of general manager Kwesi Adolfo-Mensah prior to the draft mean anything:

“There’s no amount of seventh-round picks that will equal the value of the first pick,” Kwesi said at his Wednesday, pre-draft presser.

And upon hearing that, there was much rejoicing throughout Purple Nation.

So, a betting person might see the odds on the Viking shanging onto their first-round pick increasing after Kwesi’s proclamation. But, if you feel that he subscribes to one of Rick’s other tendencies (blowing more smoke than fire before a draft), then you might feel the Vikings could trade down in the first to acquire a later first round and perhaps another second- or third-rounder—if the player they are targeting will still likely be there. This, too, was Spielman-esque and much to the chagrin of members of the fan base (at least this member), as it still seemed to water down the picks.

So, I am thinking that won’t happen. I am thinking Kwesi was signally his anti-predecessor tendencies (at least in this first draft of his career) and will pick a player in the 12th position of the first round. But then who bloody knows? There is very little consensus at the top of this draft so really anything could happen and the Vikings could get flustered and follow another Vikings draft and not get their selection to the head table in time. It’s a crap shoot. And that’s why we watch. And that’s why we will discuss it beforehand on the Vikings Territory Breakdown Podcast with Mark Craig from the Star Tribune. And that’s why we will rehash it next week: Same Bat Time; Same Bat Channel. Check it out.

NFL Draft Talk –

  • Will Offensive line be addressed in 2nd, 3rd and 4th rounds?


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