Vikings GM Due to Draft Players at 2 Positions
Dustin Baker
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Let’s get this out of the way: the Minnesota Vikings will likely select a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft and probably in Round 1.
Vikings GM Due to Draft Players at 2 Positions
That’s no big mystery — none whatsoever — but after that would-be selection, the plot thickens. Minnesota has roster needs at interior defensive line and interior offensive line, with side dishes of cornerback and WR3.
And when formulating your draft predictions for the Vikings, remember that general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has been on the job for two years and has never chosen men from either of these positions.
1. Center
The Vikings have two men on the current roster who have played center in the past: starter Garrett Bradbury and newcomer free agent Dan Feeney.
Then that’s it.
Adofo-Mensah did not use the 2022 or 2023 NFL drafts to select a center, and with the roster in its current form, one is probably on the way this weekend. Because — if not in the draft, where? The aforementioned Feeney is a guard at heart but could play center in a pinch, as he did for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020.
But Minnesota needs more than a patchwork center; it needs a tentative plan for life after Bradbury. The 2019 1st-Rounder has two more years in Minnesota per his existing contract, and at this time next year, Minnesota could either employ a new center or be searching for one in the draft. Adofo-Mensah could kickstart the process by exploring a mid-to-late-round center in this draft, especially because he has seven picks scheduled for Saturday between Rounds 4 and 7.
These men, among others, should be available for Minnesota:
- Sedrick Van Pran (Georgia)
- Hunter Nourzad (Penn State)
- Beaux Limmer (Arkansas)
- Tanor Bortolini (Wisconsin)
2. EDGE Rusher
Adofo-Mensah has never selected an EDGE rusher in the draft, instead preferring undrafted free agency with men like Andre Carter II and Luiji Vilain.
Meanwhile, Minnesota hasn’t drafted an EDGE rusher in Rounds 1 or 2 since 2005, so the drought is grimmer than center listed above. At the moment, the Vikings have these outside linebackers under contract:
- Jonathan Greenard
- Andrew Van Ginkel
- Jihad Ward
- Patrick Jones II
- Andre Carter II
That list will grow to seven or so by training camp, meaning Vikings fans can reasonably expect Adofo-Mensah to draft an EDGE rusher or once again explore UDFA.
These are pass rushers to remember when Minnesota is on the clock in Round 4 and beyond:
- Gabriel Murphy (UCLA)
- Xavier Thomas (Clemson)
- Jalyx Hunt (Houston Christian)
- Javon Solomon (Troy)
- Marshawn Kneeland (Western Michigan)
- Mohamed Kamara (Colorado State)
- Cedric Johnson (Ole Miss)
And for context, Adofo-Mensah has not drafted a kicker or punter.
Vikings May Need a Draft Pivot to Plan B
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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