Kwesi’s Parting Gift – Vikings Territory

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was far from perfect. Most glaringly, there were the issues in the draft, the absolute best way to keep a roster nourished with talent.

What of his most recent work?

The 2025 NFL Draft was the final one with Mr. Adofo-Mensah getting the final call. Surprisingly enough, the analytics GM did something that was somewhat in defiance to the general wisdom: opting for a guard in the 1st. Crucially, the opening-round selection looks very promising. Does the remainder of the draft demonstrate commensurate levels of promise?

Kwesi’s Parting Gift — The 2025 Draft Class

So far, Vikings camp has seen several risers. Among these players who have impressed are receiver Tai Felton, DT/EDGE Ty Ingram-Dawkins, and TE Gavin Bartholomew. All of these young guys are in town after getting scooped up as part of the same 2025 draft class.

— READ MORE: He’s 6’2″, Boasts Elite Speed, and is Making a Name for Himself at Vikings Camp —
— READ MORE: A Kevin O’Connell Answer Isn’t Fully Adding Up —
— READ MORE: Vikings Get Flashes from J.J. McCarthy, and the Defense is Gonna Be Pretty Good —

Journey back in time to the legendary 2015 Vikings draft. That’s a cluster of talent that involved a total of ten players. Corner Trae Waynes got chosen in the 1st and did fine; overall, though, we was a disappointment due to being solid rather than sizzling. Two others, OT Tyrus Thompson and DE B.J. Dubose, never played in a single NFL game. Another, OT T.J. Clemmings, was horrible.

What makes the group of talent so formidable is that linebacker Eric Kendricks got chosen in the 2nd, edge rusher Danielle Hunter in the 3rd, and receiver Stefon Diggs in the 5th. Each would get chosen in the 1st if the draft got redone.

See the key reality? Pulling three fantastic players out of a singular draft represents wonderful work. Think of drafting as therefore being vaguely similar to a hitter in baseball. Boasting a .300 batting average — or better — could represent really nice work, especially if one can hit for power (like landing an All-Pro edge rusher in the 3rd).

Bring that back around to Kwesi’s parting gift.

LG1 Donovan Jackson is going to be a fantastic player. He’s tough and competitive. He’s rugged and can be used as a puller. Look for him to create a ferocious left side with Christian Darrisaw healthy. Quite possibly, he’ll become the main leader along the o-line once Brian O’Neill retires.

Afterwards, the picks may have been used on somebody who can become a strong WR3, a strong depth defensive lineman capable of playing along the edge, and then an upside TE3. That’s a good haul, folks. Not on par with the All Pro talent taken in 2015 but going 4/5 is really good. These guys still need to prove themselves further but there’s upside here.

Where Adofo-Mensah missed was with the Kobe King selection, who appeared a touch slow to my eye. A swing and a miss here on the thumping linebacker can be forgiven if the other four guys fulfill their potential.

Plus, consider the UDFA talent.

Max Brosmer could be a long-term QB3 with the ceiling of that of a strong QB2. That’s an excellent outcome for an undrafted passer. Receiver Myles Price has proven capable of being a weapon as a returner (with some meat on the bone as a receiver). Receiver Dontae Fleming is making noise, defensive lineman Elijah Williams is battling to maintain his roster spot, and several other UDFAs are still in the mix.

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah deserves credit for these decisions. Again, he was far from perfect, but much of the roster owes something to the former GM. Now, if J.J. McCarthy explodes as he solidifies himself as the long-term QB1? That’s an outcome that will lead to a much different perspective on the executive who is now putting in work for the 49ers.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

Advertisement