Kwesi Works Some Mensah Magic in the Vikings 2025 Draft
Vikings Territory Breakdown
The NFL Draft finally arrived, and the Vikings held the 24th pick in the first round. The fans were revved up (when they weren’t fearing that GM Kwesi Adolfo-Mensah would trade the pick) and they got ready to explode at the announcement of the newest Viking. Until they drafted Ohio State Buckeye guard Donovan Jackson. A guard? What? Where is the excitement? But the pick wasn’t a buzzkill. The Vikings are hoping Jackson will be a buzz saw on the offensive line next season.
With an eye toward protecting their sophomore quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the Vikings put a major emphasis on the offensive line during free agency (Matt Fries and Ryab Kelly) and continued that with the Jackson pick. There will likely be a competition at left guard, but the versatile and intelligent Jackson could step in and start and solidify a formerly middling line.
In the third round Kwesi put on his swap-meet hat and traded pick #97 for #102 (and also exchanging 187 for 142), making fans who waited until the end of third for their compensatory pick to wait a little longer. That’s when pick #102 became Maryland wide receiver Tai Felton. With only two wideouts (Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison) under contract after this coming season, the Vikings needed some depth at the position, if not some competition for WR3. Felton, with his speed and a decent track record, will certainly bring it.
The Vikings did some more dealing, trading #142 in the fifth round for Seattle backup QB Sam Howell. Another prospect for the Kevin O’Connell QB rehab camp, Howell has some starting experience from his time in Washington. He joins J.J. McCarthy, Brett Rypien and undrafted QB from Minnesota Max Brosmer in a suddenly crowded position room (with no space for any aging vets, right?).
Add into this mix of three more late round picks (Georgia DL Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Penn State LB Kobe King and Pitt TE Gavin Bartholomew) plus 18 more UFDAs, and the fellas at Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast—Joe Oberle, senior writer at vikingsterritory.com and purplePTSD.com and Mark Craig, NFL and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com—have plenty to discuss. So, tune in and check it out. Skol!
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Vikings Add Talent in Draft and a Decent QB2, Still Could Use DB Help