4 Takeaways from Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s Pre-Draft Press Conference
Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah held a customary pre-draft press conference on Wednesday, speaking to reporters for about 20 minutes.
4 Takeaways from Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s Pre-Draft Press Conference
His team recently completed the first few major waves of 2025 free agency, and the NFL Draft is 29 days away.
These were the four main takeaways from the pre-draft press conference, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = most important).
4. Compensatory Draft Pick Mindfulness
Asked about the Vikings’ plan to sign a QB2 behind J.J. McCarthy, Adofo-Mensah replied, “We’re trying to improve the team but are mindful of our compensatory pick situation and different things like that. We’re really just trying to be mindful of that, and the right way to, you know, set us up to succeed, but also be mindful of all the different factors we have.”
If the Vikings signed Drew Lock, for example, this very moment, that transaction would likely wipe out a 2026 compensatory pick gained from Daniel Jones’ free-agent departure to the Indianapolis Colts.
So, the young executive is concentrating on the compensatory picks, meaning a backup passer will probably arrive after the draft or via trade.
3. Vikings Explored Aaron Rodgers but Ruled Him Out for Now
The Vikings, indeed, had internal conversations about signing Rodgers but decided he was not their preferred path.
“We didn’t think it was the right move at this time. It is also his decision whether he signs with another team. That’s ultimately up to the player. For me to sit here and say that, you know, anything’s 100% forever, that’s just not the job,” Adofo-Mensah explained.
“We’re responding to scenarios and different information as it comes. So, you know, obviously things can change, but right now we’re really happy with our room.”
In theory, if J.J. McCarthy encountered another injury and Rodgers didn’t have a job, that door is open.
Adofo-Mensah also claimed that head coach Kevin O’Connell and Rodgers know each other quite well, and the two spoke this offseason and will continue to be acquaintances.
2. Adofo-Mensah Not Concerned about HIS Extension
The Vikings’ ownership extended O’Connell’s contract at the beginning of the offseason. Most expected Adofo-Mensah’s to arrive soon after, but 29 days before the draft, no deal has materialized.
Per Adofo-Mensah, however, he’s totally unfazed by it.
“Just like what we say with player contracts. It’s a process. These things take time. A contract is a chance for people to come together at a table and find solutions for the things they want to solve.”
“So, that’s what we do. I trust people to do that for me, and I promise you I don’t wake up thinking about that for one second. I wake up thinking about ‘How do we improve this team? How do we beat the other teams in our division? How do we get to the playoffs, and how do we go further?’ That’s one of those things.”
An eventual extension sounded rather elementary.
“We’re all aligned the same way — myself, the Wilfs, the Vikings, my family. Everybody is aligned. If I go out and do my very best and focus all of my being toward that, everything’s going to work out. That’s how I believe in my life, and that’s how I’ll continue to believe.”
1. J.J. McCarthy as “The Guy” at QB1
The Vikings will ride or die with McCarthy in 2025.
“When we pool the resources we did to draft J.J., and you go through that long process and all those things, I can’t stand up here and say that’s not the outcome we want. That’s the outcome we’re headed towards,” Adofo-Mensah confirmed.
“At every checkpoint, whether it been the draft process or practice, until the injury, and really the offseason now, he’s met the bar. I mean, he’s exceeded our expectations at every point.”
Welcome to the McCarthy era of Vikings football.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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