Vikings Myths and Misses: Mac Jones, the 2022 Draft, Johnny Mundt
The Minnesota Vikings’ 2026 depth chart is taking shape after one week of free agency, as the franchise added two notable players right away, including quarterback Kyler Murray and cornerback James Pierre. In the backdrop, as always, we track the “Nopedy Nopes” — the Vikings-themed items that didn’t work out as forecasted, were wrong, or just too damn bizarre in the first place.
Some Vikings takes aged poorly, while one old assumption still deserves a second look.
They’re the Nopedy Nopes, and this is the free agency edition.
Three Popular Minnesota Talking Points Deserve a Fresh Verdict
Dispelling weekly Vikings myths is our thing.
The Nopedy Nope: Mac Jones, despite a high trade price tag, was an option at quarterback for the 2026 Vikings.
The 49ers won’t trade Jones unless some quarterback-needy team bows down.
NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Wirth wrote Tuesday, “The 49ers do not seem inclined to trade backup quarterback Mac Jones. That is, unless someone meets their steep asking price. San Francisco has received interest from multiple teams, but, as some interested parties around the league described to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the 49ers’ asking price for Jones is ‘astronomical.'”
“It’s unclear exactly what San Francisco’s asking price might be, but some have speculated that the veteran quarterback, who had a resurgent season in 2025 filling in for an injured Brock Purdy, could net the 49ers a second-round draft pick in a potential deal.”
Meanwhile, the 2026 quarterback carousel is basically done spinning, with Aaron Rodgers’s decision as the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback still pending, and Jones appears to be left out in the cold.
And for Minnesota, well, Kyler Murray is in the house, making Jones a non-option in 2026.
The Verdict: Nopedy nope on Jones as the Vikings’ offseason quarterback solution. That’s Murray, whom Minnesota obtained for “free.”
The Nopedy Nope: Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s 2022 draft class was a top-to-bottom failure.
Guard Ed Ingram signed a three-year, $37.5 million deal extension with the Houston Texans. Jalen Nailor grabbed $35 million over three years from the Las Vegas Raiders. Offensive tackle Vederian Lowe? Two years and $12 million in San Francisco. Cornerback Akayleb Evans re-upped with the Carolina Panthers. And defensive tackle Esezi Otomeo signed a small extension with the Steelers.
These Kwesi Adofo-Mensah 2022 draft picks did not hit whatsoever:
- Lewis Cine (S)
- Andrew Booth (CB)
- Brian Asamoah (LB)
- Nick Muse (TE)
These did, compared to their draft round:
- Ed Ingram (OG)
- Akayleb Evans (CB)
- Esezi Otomewo (DT)
- Ty Chandler (RB)
- Vederian Lowe (OT)
- Jalen Nailor (WR)
The 2022 draft class will always be remembered for the selections of Cine and Booth, and rightfully so; those early picks are hard to forget. Terrible.
However, a closer look reveals a more nuanced story. Adofo-Mensah actually made several successful picks in the middle and later rounds, identifying players who developed into valuable contributors. Unfortunately, Minnesota parted ways with some of them before they reached their full potential, missing out on the long-term benefits.
In essence, Adofo-Mensah struggled at the start of his first draft but improved as it progressed. This recovery went largely unnoticed, overshadowed by the early misses. Now, Adofo-Mensah has joined the 49ers as a personnel executive, where he hopes to reclaim his reputation.
The Verdict: Nopedy nope on Adofo-Mensah’s 2022 class as the failure to end all failures. The Vikings mismanaged the assets, to be sure. But the haul is about one Cine or Booth Pro Bowl away from being a normal draft class.
The Nopedy Nope: The Jaguars cut Johnny Mundt, signaling a probable return to Minnesota.
Grant Udinski’s offense said goodbye to Mundt last week, and immediately, a reunion with the Vikings made sense. Kevin O’Connell once called Mundt the best TE3 in the world.
But it wasn’t meant to be.
The Eagles website published on Wednesday: “Before the start of Free Agency, the Eagles retained a player who has been involved in the team’s run of success the past four seasons, agreeing to terms with tight end Grant Calcaterra, and then added a trusted veteran in tight end, Johnny Mundt. Both players are here on one-year deals. Mundt enters his 10th NFL season after going undrafted out of Oregon in 2017.”
“The 6-foot-4 Mundt spent his first five seasons on the Los Angeles Rams before playing the next three on the Minnesota Vikings, overlapping with new Eagles Offensive Coordinator Sean Mannion in 2022 and 2023. While it remains to be seen what Mannion’s vision is for the offense, the tight end position has played a vital part in Philadelphia, and the scheme the new coordinator has the most experience with, in both the run game and the pass game over the years.”
Mundt’s an Eagle.
The Verdict: Nopedy nope on O’Connell re-signing the best TE3 in the business.
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