Kwesi Adofo-Mensah received criticism during his rookie year as an NFL general manager for not getting more from his first draft class.
The Vikings selected 10 players in the seven rounds, but only one, Ed Ingram, turned into a full-time starter and the right guard had plenty of rocky moments.
The good news for Adofo-Mensah is nobody is closing the book on this draft class and all ten of them remain on the roster. This week we are going to look at the nine remaining players, beginning in this column with the top five selections.
How do they fit into the 2023 plans and what should be the expectations for them?
32nd overall: S Lewis Cine
The Vikings’ draft-night trade with the Lions dropped Minnesota to the last pick in the opening round and that’s where they selected Cine.
Cine only appeared in three games before suffering a compound fracture of his left leg while playing special teams against the Saints in Week 4 in London.
While the injury ended Cine’s season, it’s important to remember he had lost any chance at starting during OTAs and minicamps. Cam Bynum, a fourth-round pick in 2021, got the attention of one-and-done defensive coordinator Ed Donatell and was paired with Harrison Smith when training camp opened.
Cine, 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, was expected to add speed and aggressiveness but he only got two snaps on defense.
Expectations for 2023: It’s unlikely that new defensive coordinator Brian Flores is going to keep Cine on the sideline. If Cine is fully healed and isn’t starting on opening day, we can discuss Adofo-Mensah’s first-ever first-round pick being a bust. For now, we’ll assume Cine will be put in a spot to make a significant contribution in his second year.
42nd overall: CB Andrew Booth Jr.
Booth was projected to be a first-round pick in many mock drafts, but he fell into the second because of injury concerns. This included having undergone core muscle surgery that caused him to miss time during the Vikings’ offseason practices.
Adofo-Mensah liked Booth enough to trade up 10 spots in the second round to get him, and the GM told reporters the Vikings had done extensive research on Booth’s health and were confident in the decision to pick him.
That confidence was quickly shaken.
Booth played in six games, getting only special teams work in his first four appearances. He was inactive for four games because of a quadriceps injury suffered in Week 1 against the Packers.
Booth played 37 defensive snaps in a win at Buffalo and got the start the following week in a 37-point loss against Dallas in Week 11. He was injured against the Cowboys and underwent season-ending surgery to repair meniscus damage in his knee.
Expectations for 2023: A healthy Booth would have an excellent chance at winning a starting cornerback spot in training camp, but his inability to remain on the field is clearly a concern. Adofo-Mensah will continue to hope that Booth can stay away from injuries, but the cornerback’s history says that might not be possible.
59th overall: RG Ed Ingram
Ingram was the only Vikings’ pick to start all 18 games, including the playoff loss to the Giants. That doesn’t mean things always went well for the 6-foot-3, 315-pound rookie.
Ingram was charged with 11 sacks allowed by Pro Football Focus — the most in the NFL and an incredible total for an interior lineman — and graded out at 57.1 overall, placing him 56th out of 73 linemen. His pass-blocking grade of 44.4 was 75th out of 87 and his 53 pressures allowed was last out of 73. Ingram did produce a 63.4 grade in run blocking to put him 29th out of 73.
There was some thought that Ingram’s play would get him lifted from the starting unit at some point, but coach Kevin O’Connell stuck with him. Was that the wise move?
Expectations for 2023: That question will be answered next season and Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell need Ingram’s response to be a big one. Ingram’s play can’t just improve a little bit. Ingram needs to spend the offseason becoming a far better player, especially in pass protection, and a failure to do that will be a massive disappointment.
66th overall: ILB Brian Asamoah
The Vikings’ use of Asamoah might have been the biggest surprise among their draft picks. He played in 16 games, seeing plenty of time on special teams, but did not get a snap on defense until Week 5 against Chicago and didn’t get double-digit snaps until Week 11 when he was in for 15 defensive plays against Dallas.
His season-high snap count on defense came in the Vikings’ victory over the Giants in Week 15 when he played 27 snaps. However, he did not get on the field at all in the playoff loss to the Giants before suffering a concussion.
Asamoah wasn’t going to be a savior on defense, but the hard-hitting 6-1, 228-pound linebacker brought speed that veterans Eric Kendricks and Jordan Hicks lacked. That enabled quarterbacks to often pick on linebackers. Donatell far too often stuck with those two and kept Asamoah on the sideline.
Expectations for 2023: Kendricks and Hicks could both be gone and Asamoah is certain to see more playing time. Asamoah, a two-year starter at Oklahoma, should present issues for opposing offenses and his aggressive style will help shape the Vikings’ identity on defense.
Fourth-round (118th pick): Akayleb Evans, CB, Missouri
Evans played in 10 games and started twice at cornerback, but his season came to an end after he suffered his third concussion of the year. The first came on Oct. 9 against Chicago, the second on Nov. 13 in Buffalo and the last one on Dec. 4 against the Jets.
He did not play in the Vikings’ final six games and said after the season that he plans to use a specially designed-helmet in 2023. The Vikings clearly like Evans and the cornerback spots could be wide open, especially if veteran free agent Patrick Peterson does not return, but the first concern for all has to be Evans’ health.
Expectations for 2023: Best case is that Evans wins a starting job at cornerback. He has the potential to compete for a position, but the Vikings’ medical staff will be keeping a close eye on him.
