The 2022 NFL Draft was challenging for several teams as their draft picks didn’t pan out. For the Minnesota Vikings, the 2022 NFL Draft is one they would like to forget, at least the first two rounds,
This offseason, they turned the page on both of their first two draft picks by releasing one and trading another.
Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth Jr. were both sent away this offseason, creating a fog around General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. He had just accepted the general manager role in January of that year, so folks are quick not to hold that draft against him, while others see it as no excuse.
During his media availability, the Vikings general manager was asked what that draft meant for him, and he gave a very honest answer.
“I would say that everything that I do in the future has some relevance to what I’ve done in the past. These are things I have thought about for a long period of time. . .more specific to what types of decisions you need to make. . asking, ‘Hey, where can you go get those players?’ There’s other teams with third-fourth round picks on different practice squads.”
The brutal honesty was refreshing from an NFL general manager, let alone one who has such brutal misses as the start of his tenure. Learning from things and adapting the next time you are presented goes a long way to finding success.
The 2024 NFL Draft will serve as a potential of how Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has learned from his previous mistakes.
