Vikings Have Finally Moved Past a Major Blunder

Lamar Jackson will reportedly miss 6-9 weeks

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Vikings Have Finally Moved Past a Major Blunder

Vikings Have Finally Moved Past a Major Blunder — Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah watches from the sideline during the NFL International Series matchup on Sep. 28, 2025, at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland, monitoring player performance and roster depth as Minnesota competes abroad while balancing executive evaluation duties in a rare overseas regular-season setting. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.

Janik Eckardt · Vikings Territory

Wed, Mar 18, 2026 ·

4 min read

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In 2022, the Minnesota Vikings moved on from the previous regime by firing head coach Mike Zimmer and GM Rick Spielman. Two first-timers, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O'Connell, were hired to take their spots. A few months in, the duo faced its first significant task on the job when the draft rolled around. The results were a disaster.

Let's fast forward nearly four years. On Tuesday, running back Ty Chandler , a 2022 fifth-rounder, agreed to terms with the New Orleans Saints , confirming a reality many had been expecting for a couple of years. Not a single Vikings draft pick from 2022 received a second contract with the franchise.

Lewis Cine warming up on the field at U.S. Bank Stadium before a Vikings game. — Minnesota Vikings safety Lewis Cine jogs across the turf during pregame warmups at U.S. Bank Stadium, preparing for action as Minnesota hosted San Francisco on Aug. 20, 2022. Cine went through positional drills and light sprints as teammates filtered onto the field ahead of kickoff, part of the Vikings' preseason routine in Minneapolis. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.

The Vikings entered that draft with the 12th overall pick; surely, that would help find a new franchise player. Well, Adofo-Mensah shipped that pick to Detroit for pick 32 and used that to acquire safety Lewis Cine . In theory, adding more picks makes sense, but it only works if their own picks work out. Cine did not.

He played in ten games and was cut after his third preseason. A nasty injury in his rookie year, combined with a coordinator and scheme change, didn't help, but it can't be ruled out that he just didn't have what it takes.

What makes matters worse is that picks 12 through 14 have all had a pretty good career and Adofo-Mensah had the option to draft one of them: Jameson Williams , Jordan Davis , or Kyle Hamilton . He also passed on first-rounders Trent McDuffie , Tyler Smith , and Tyler Linderbaum .

Unfortunately, the draft didn't even trend up after Cine's selection. Entering the second round with pick 34, Adofo-Menash traded that to Green Bay. That trade was a massive win on the trade charts, as he received a couple of second-rounders. He ultimately traded up once for Andrew Booth and also picked Ed Ingram in the process.

Cornerback Booth struggled with injuries in his Vikings tenure and was traded in the summer of 2024 to Dallas in exchange for Nahshon Wright . He also encountered the problem of being drafted into one scheme and suddenly having to work in another. However, he also hasn't particularly thrived elsewhere and is in the UFL now.

Houston Texans offensive linemen Blake Fisher and Ed Ingram walk to the line of scrimmage before a preseason play against the Carolina Panthers at NRG Stadium. — Houston Texans offensive tackle Blake Fisher and guard Ed Ingram move toward the line of scrimmage as the offense prepares to run a play at NRG Stadium, Aug 16, 2025, during preseason action against the Carolina Panthers, with the interior linemen setting protection and communicating assignments before the snap. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Ingram started 41 games through three seasons, but was one of the worst guards in the NFL. Last offseason, the Vikings traded him to Houston for a late-rounder, where he had his best season and received a sweet contract extension. It's fair to wonder whether the coaching could have been the issue in his case.

The Vikings had a third pick on Day 2, selecting linebacker Brian Asamoah early in the third round. The linebacker showed flashes as a rotational player in his rookie season, but new coordinator Brian Flores didn't use him on defense. Asamoah was waived last summer and has bounced around since.

The Vikings added another six players on draft Saturday.

Cornerback Akayleb Evans was a rotational player in 2022 and a full-time starter in 2023. He was surprisingly waived during his third season with the club and has been with the Panthers since. Defensive lineman Esezi Otomewo was another player Flores didn't like, as he was cut entering his second season. He's still in the league, mostly as a rotational defensive lineman.

Chandler has been a depth running back and is one of only two players who fulfilled their entire four-year contract. He has never truly established himself on offense, but has been a useful backup and special-teams player.

Offensive tackle Vederian Lowe was traded after one season for a sixth-rounder, which was his original draft slot. The pick was a wash, but he was a solid backup tackle for the New England Patriots and just signed a lucrative deal with the 49ers .

Jalen Nailor catches a second-half touchdown against the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. — Jalen Nailor secured a contested touchdown as Minnesota extended its momentum in the second half against Dallas, finishing the play through contact at AT&T Stadium. The Vikings capitalized on coverage breakdowns and timing routes during a critical stretch on Dec. 14, 2025, with Nailor's score providing separation in a game that demanded precision and poise. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Wideout Jalen Nailor is undoubtedly the best pick on the list, carving out a nice role as the team's WR3. He just received a paycheck from the Las Vegas Raiders . And finally, reserve tight end Nick Muse , who appeared in 16 games with the Vikings and departed after the 2024 season when he joined the Eagles on the Super Bowl run.

It's been a disastrous group. Adofo-Mensah worked with the scouting department from the previous regime, then traded down just to trade, picked the wrong players, and didn't get much help from the coaching staff in developing players. The change from Ed Donatell to Brian Flores certainly helped the defensive success and the operation, but the players selected for Donatell's scheme were in trouble.

At the end of the day, the draft will go down as one of the worst in recent memory, with some role players and many more players that didn't work out at all. What was supposed to kickstart the new era of Vikings football turned out to be a huge stinker.

Next month, the decision-makers want to do a better job at finding the next generation of Minnesota Vikings.

Editor's Note: Information from PFF , Over The Cap , and Sports Reference helped with this article.

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