Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah showed his conviction, securing two separate trades during the 2024 draft.
He selected quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick after trading with the New York Jets to move up one spot. Adofo-Mensah later secured a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Vikings went from No. 23 overall to No. 17 for edge defender Dallas Turner.
It was the second deal that turned heads and changed opinions about the third-year GM.
“I had to think twice because I had him pegged as a volume guy when it came to draft picks,” said an anonymous AFC executive, per ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler on May 7. “It looks like he’s shifted his thinking to where, the reality is it’s hard to win without players you can build around.”
Fowler reports that the Vikings’ aggression to move up for Turner “surprised” some within the Jaguars organization.
But Adofo-Mesah was unapologetic about both trades to secure two hopeful cornerstones.
“I do think you’re supposed to price in a little bit of irrationality,” Adofo-Mensah told reporters on April 11. “But then, really, it’s always about walkway prices. And walkway prices, to me, are meaningful because it’s another action. Your leverage in a negotiation is your willingness to do something else.”
A lack of overall success from Adofo-Mensah’s first two classes may have also played a part in his aggressiveness this time around.
“Adofo-Mensah, with an analytical background, played to his reputation early in his tenure. The first two moves of his first two drafts were trade-backs,” Fowler wrote. “But over the past two months, Adofo-Mensah went all-in to move up — three times, twice while on the clock.”
It nearly led them to make a move almost no one expected.
Vikings Stopped J.J. McCarthy’s Slide in 2024 Draft
GettyHead coach Jim Harbaugh and J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Michigan Wolverines.
Fowler reports the Vikings contacted teams in the top 10 regarding a potential trade to move up. That includes the Los Angeles Chargers despite the idea that potential resentment from Head Coach Jim Harbaugh could lead to difficult negotiations.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported on April 26 that the Vikings also made an offer to the New England Patriots, presumably for Drake Maye.
And Fowler’s reporting on McCarthy could suggest the Vikings got antsy.
“What became clear in the 72 hours before the draft is that Drake Maye at No. 3 would be the quarterback to draw heavy trade interest,” Fowler wrote. “By that point, quarterback-needy teams essentially called their shot that J.J. McCarthy would not garner heavy trade interest at picks 4-6. Before then, several teams had legitimately wondered if McCarthy would end up in the top five or six picks.
“The buzz around McCarthy sliding was real among team execs, even ones without quarterback needs or agendas in the top 10.”
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s Aggression Must Pay Off for Vikings
GettyGeneral Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Atlanta Falcons selection of Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall shook up the draft, with Denver Broncos general manager George Paton acknowledging it spurred them to select Bo Nix with the No. 12 overall pick.
Behind-the-scenes footage of the Jets war room also showed elation over the McCarthy trade.
The key is whether Adofo-Mensah’s aggression will pay off more for the Vikings or the teams with whom he has dealt over these past two months.
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