Vikings Might Have Blown a Golden Opportunity
Minnesota Vikings fans have almost unanimously approved of the team’s offseason, featuring a commitment to building the trenches, promoting quarterback J.J. McCarthy to the top job, and extending head coach Kevin O’Connell’s contract.
One ESPN writer claims the Vikings bungled a major draft chance in April, and it’s worth wondering if the theory is correct. Here’s the latest theory from ESPN.
ESPN, on the other hand, came along this week and disagreed, assigning Minnesota a ‘C+’ grade for all its offseason maneuvers.
And among the main beefs? A squandered trade opportunity in Round 1 a few months ago.
Seth Walder Claims Vikings Missed the Boat on Draft Trade
The deals were available, according to ESPN.
ESPN Says Vikings Squandered Draft Trade Offer
Leading into the draft, many onlookers expected Minnesota to trade down. It holstered just four picks due to the Dallas Turner deal the year prior. But general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stuck to his guns, picking offensive guard Donovan Jackson from Ohio State, the cake-topper to his interior offensive line overhaul.
Walder insinuated that Adofo-Mensah left a lot of meat on the bone.
“I wasn’t a fan of their draft, though. No team needed to trade down more, given Minnesota’s dearth of picks, yet they picked guard Donovan Jackson in Round 1 even though they had a good deal available from the Giants and a great one from the Falcons, who traded up for each of the next two picks behind Minnesota. That was a major squandered opportunity,” he explained.
The missed opportunity, per Walder, prompted him to hand out a ‘C+’ grade when several national media outlets scored Minnesota much higher.
Missing Out on a 1st-Rounder?
So, what’s the fuss? Well, the Falcons ultimately conducted a deal with the Los Angeles Rams, trading Nos. 26 and 101 selections to Atlanta for No. 46 and 242 and a 2026 1st-Rounder. Atlanta used the selection to pick EDGE rusher James Pearce Jr. from Tennessee about an hour after choosing Georgia EDGE Jalon Walker.
The working theory suggests that Minnesota could’ve entertained a similar deal, which could’ve netted a 2026 1st-Rounder from Atlanta. The enticing part involves Atlanta’s 2025 trajectory. The Falcons are not on tap to finish as a sure-fire winning team, meaning the draft pick next year could’ve been in the Top 16 or so.
But Minnesota said “no thanks,” evidently, and rolled with Jackson.
In light of the ESPN reporting, fans must ask themselves: “Would I rather have Donovan Jackson? Or a different rookie with an extra 2026 1st-Rounder in the bag from Atlanta?”
Texans Would Have Drafted Donovan Jackson
Credible reporting after the draft revealed that the Houston Texans likely would’ve picked Jackson at No. 25 had Minnesota not taken the plunge. Jackson is from Houston, and the Texans needed a boost for their interior offensive line.
Therefore, to lock in his man, Adofo-Mensah chose Jackson and refused any trades down the board. He could not have “waited until later” for Jackson.
The Will Johnson Angle
Meanwhile, some fans still believe Minnesota’s cornerback room needs some assistance. Michigan cornerback Will Johnson unexpectedly slid from Round 1 into Round 2, and in theory, Adofo-Mensah could’ve green lit the Falcons deal — grabbing the 2026 1st-Rounder — and picked Johnson. He would’ve been available.
Of course, that would not have solved the left guard issue, and Minnesota would likely be in line to start Blake Brandel again — or in the free-agent market to sign Dalton Risner or Will Hernandez, for example.
More from Walder on Vikings’ Offseason
Walder added more commentary about Minnesota’s offseason, “Biggest move: Sticking with QB J.J. McCarthy as their starter. Move I liked: Sticking with McCarthy. Move I disliked: Signing DT Jonathan Allen. What to do at quarterback was the biggest, most important decision the Vikings had to make. There were essentially three options — retain Sam Darnold, sign Aaron Rodgers or start McCarthy, their 2024 first-round pick.”
“They chose the last option, which I feel is correct. Darnold was coming off a career season, but his performance was overrated by the win-loss record. Despite having an elite playcaller as head coach and the league’s best wide receiver, Darnold ranked 14th in QBR last season — a number that includes his disastrous Week 18 game against the Lions but doesn’t factor in his similarly dreadful wild-card game against the Rams.”
No matter what, Walder’s ‘C+’ grade was still pretty unflattering.
He continued, “Ultimately, Darnold’s collapse made the choice easy. And the Vikings were correct to parry interest from Rodgers, who has not played well since 2021. Minnesota is in a far different position than the Steelers thanks to McCarthy.”
“The Vikings are also projected to gain a third-round compensatory pick for losing Darnold and a fourth for losing Daniel Jones, per OverTheCap.com, draft additions that are not trivial. But while I approve of the team’s biggest choice this offseason, I was less fond of many of Minnesota’s other decisions.”
Walder also graded Adofo-Mensah’s 2024 offseason underwhelmingly, and Minnesota later finished the season 14-3.
Still, declarations like Walder’s will make hardcore fans wonder “what could have been” with the theoretical deal with the Falcons.
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