Don’t Get Vikings Draft Strategy Twisted
Janik Eckardt
|
The draft is approaching, and the Minnesota Vikings hold picks 11 and 23, at least for now. That draft order could quickly change once NFL commissioner Roger Goodell opens the three-day event. Packaging those selections and possibly additional draft capital to land one of the top QBs should be the goal, but many fans are starting to get cold feet.
Don’t Get Vikings Draft Strategy Twisted
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah recently talked about the risk investing big capital in a single player involves but also stated how it is worth it if it’s the right guy: “That is the hardest part, right? If you get the guy right, and he’s your answer for ten years, there’s no price you probably wouldn’t have paid looking back. You have to go back to the odds of that happening, and that’s the counterplay. Every GM is coming up here and talk, and they would probably say the same thing.”
That investment would involve picks 11 and 23, which is why 23 was acquired in the first place. If the Vikings want to obtain the third overall draft slot, at least another first-rounder would be needed. Because that is a considerable investment, the voices who claim it’s better to draft a remaining quarterback with one of the currently held draft slots are starting to get some steam.
However, that would be the wrong thing to do for the organization. It would be the less risky move, no doubt, but also the scared version of a draft. For decades, the Vikings have failed to find the next franchise quarterback, with the often-injured Tommy Kramer and Daunte Culpepper and the solid but not great veteran Kirk Cousins as the closest guys since Fran Tarkenton between a bunch of aging patch-over players and terrible young quarterbacks. The guys in charge were scared to make the big investment.
It’s time for a big swing, and this is the year to do it for various reasons.
In most other years, the Vikings have a selection in the first round, one in the second, and one in the third. This year, however, the team already has two of the required draft picks to break into the top slots of the draft.
Another reason is that this is the draft class with excellent talent at the most important position. Even behind the presumed top choice, Caleb Williams, this draft class includes Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, and J.J. McCarthy, and all three guys check many boxes a potential franchise quarterback must check. Next year’s group of quarterback prospects is viewed as vastly inferior.
The Vikings also need to find their guy rather quickly, as they already have everything else in place, at least on offense. Offensive-minded head coach Kevin O’Connell steers a solid offensive line with elite offensive tackles and a phenomenal receiving crew that includes Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson, and the former NFL quarterback can surely help a young passer flourish.
All of those things combined lead to one thing: Invest and swing big this year instead of postponing the inevitable stab in the draft to next year or later parts of this year’s event. The frightened move the franchise has made for decades is selecting a mid-round player or even borderline first-rounders, Bo Nix and Michael Penix, who have some talent but also a bunch of flaws.
Former Wall Street trader Adofo-Mensah should break that circle and be the first Vikings general manager to choose a passer in the top ten of the draft. He has never been afraid to take risks and shouldn’t start now. Skipping the selection of a signal-caller would be a massive disappointment and a big mistake.
Top 4 Vikings Draft Needs — Ranked
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and Classic rock is his music genre of choice. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
You must be logged in to post a comment.