The Minnesota Vikings hired manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in January of 2022. His first draft was expected to transform the team. Every first draft of a GM is expected to be transformative. So far, this draft hasn’t come close to that.
Minnesota Vikings 2022 Draft Class
1. Lewis Cine, S, Georgia
2. Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson
2. Ed Ingram, G, LSU
3. Brian Asamoah, LB, Oklahoma
4. Akayleb Evans, CB, Missouri
5. Esezi Otomewo, DT, Minnesota
5. Ty Chandler, RB, North Carolina
6. Vederian Lowe, OT, Illinois
6. Jalen Nailor, WR, Michigan State
7. Nick Muse, TE, South Carolina
At the time, I really liked this draft. I was one of the few Vikings fans that didn’t mind the first round trade with the Detroit Lions. The Vikings dropped back 20 spots from 12 to 32. In doing so, they bypassed Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton. On the surface of the deal, they passed on Hamilton at #12 and selected Lewis Cine at #32. After two seasons, that decision doesn’t look good. Critics seem to forget the significant pre-draft questions swirling around Hamilton. In fact, Cine looked like the much safer safety pick, especially with the final pick of the first round. With Cine, Andrew Booth Jr., and Brian Asamoah, this draft was supposed to provide the building blocks for a new Vikings defense. Throw in Akayleb Evans and Esezi Otomewo and potential was added at every level of the defense.
Fast forward two years and only Evans has seen any significant snaps on defense. Cine lost nearly all of his rookie season to a brutal broken leg in the fourth game. His recovery appeared to go smoothly but this was the sort of injury that can shake a psyche. That might be the bigger recovery question. Who knows? Only Cine can know. A bigger obstacle for Cine is probably the talent at safety on the Vikings. Harrison Smith and Camryn Bynum were already established at starters. Then, Josh Metellus emerged last year as a talented, versatile defender. At the time Cine was drafted, perhaps the team’s decision-makers thought that a Smith retirement would’ve cleared the path to the field by now. Smith’s snaps might be monitored during his 13th season. That could provide Cine with an opportunity. It could be his last opportunity. With his aggressive man-coverage ability, Booth might be one of the team’s best corner fits for Brian Flores’ defense. Unfortunately, injuries and inconsistency have plagued him for two years. Like Cine, this season could be his final opportunity. After some occasional flashes as a rookie, Asamoah was penciled in as one of the starting linebackers last summer. Instead, he was slowed by an injury early in training camp and undrafted rookie Ivan Pace Jr. emerged. Now, Asamoah has Pace and free agent addition Blake Cashman ahead of him. Like Cine and Booth, this season could be Asamoah’s final opportunity. Evans started a couple games as a rookie. Just as he was starting to make his mark in the defense, he was lost to concussions. The concussion concerns were significant enough that his first season was cut short after ten games. With a new helmet and revised tackling techniques, Evans was primed for a breakout season in year two. He started 15 games but his play was inconsistent and became even more inconsistent over the final games. 2023 third-round pick Mekhi Blackmon has probably passed Evans on the cornerback depth chart. It’s possible that Byron Murphy Jr., Blackmon, free agent addition Shaq Griffin, and perhaps even 2024 fourth-round pick Khyree Jackson are all positioned ahead of Evans. After 17 starts over two seasons, Evans might be competing for his Minnesota future in training camp. I saw significant potential in Esezi Otomewo during his rookie season. I saw enough potential that I thought that he could be a breakout contributor in his second season. He never got a second season with the Vikings as a he didn’t make it out of training camp.
Five of the Vikings first six picks in the 2022 NFL Draft were defensive players. All (especially Cine, Booth, and Asamoah) were expected to be foundational defenders by year three. Instead, all might be competing for roster spots this summer.
The 2022 Minnesota Vikings draft was defensive-centric. The top of the draft was defensive. The bottom of the draft was offensive. There were as many offensive players selected in 2022 as defensive players. The offensive players have been much more successful. Ed Ingram has been the starting right guard since the first game of his rookie season. At best, he’s shown steady improvement since that first start. He hasn’t played so well that it’s his job until retirement but he’s shown enough improvement that he might eventually become that guy. It says more about his draft class mates than it does his own play but Ed Ingram has been the best player in the Vikings 2022 draft. By the end of his second season, Ty Chandler was the starting running back. The coaches really like him but it didn’t stop them from adding veteran Aaron Jones in free agency. Chandler might one day be the team’s top back but for this season he’ll be 1b in a running duo with Jones. Vederian Lowe was traded to the New England Patriots last August. The Vikings received a sixth-round pick in return. So, they got much more out of Lowe than they’ve gotten from their defensive picks. Jalen Nailor looked like he was headed to a breakout season last year. Then a hamstring injury in training camp derailed that momentum. He returned to the field during the latter half of the season. It was a brief return as a concussion ended his season. If he can stay on the field, Nailor could emerge as a challenger for the #3 receiver job. Nick Muse has hung around the roster for two seasons. He could have a role as the third tight end until starter T.J. Hockenson returns from a torn ACL.
After two seasons, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s first draft hasn’t been a good one. Only Ed Ingram has been a full-time starter. Ty Chandler is a contributor. Jalen Nailor might be. The defensive players that were supposed to be the hallmark of this draft might be looking at the final opportunities with the team. Outside of Ingram and Akayleb Evans, the sixth-round pick received for Vederian Lowe might be the best return from the Minnesota Vikings 2022 Draft Class.
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