Much Of the Vikings' Fate Rests On Flores’ Draft Takeover

Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores were inevitably going to take over the Minnesota Vikings’ draft and free agency this year.

The Vikings fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah after the Senior Bowl, but retained O’Connell and extended Flores. O’Connell remains the team’s head coach and offensive leader. Flores signed a $6 million extension that gives him control over defensive personnel. Meanwhile, Rob Bryzenski fills out the new triangle of authority as the interim general manager.

Ultimately, the issue with Adofo-Mensah is that he didn’t have a scouting background. The idea behind hiring him was that he would collaborate with the coaches and scouts to identify the best players, then use analytics to maximize draft picks and free-agent spending. By replacing Rick Spielman with Adofo-Mensah, the Vikings were moving from a super scout as their general manager to a CEO.

The experiment didn’t work. The Vikings received 172 starts from players they drafted between 2022 and 2025. They spent a league-high $350 million during free agency last year and were 4-8 and out of the playoff picture by December. Sam Darnold led the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl.

However, they have a similar setup after firing Adofo-Mensah, at least in the interim. Brzezinski has been with the Vikings since 1999, but he has a law school background, and his most prominent job is managing the cap. The Wilfs have turned to Brzezinski as the institutional leader who can help them usher in the post-Adofo-Mensah era.

That makes sense in a vacuum. Vikings ownership is committed to O’Connell and Flores, who appear willing to collaborate. The New England Patriots hired Brian Flores as a scout in 2003, and he had moved to coaching by the time they drafted Kevin O’Connell in 2008. They established a kinship and mutual respect over time.

After the Vikings fired Adofo-Mensah, they can divide and conquer. O’Connell moved first, bringing in Kyler Murray to run the offense and satiate Justin Jefferson, at least for the time being. There’s still uncertainty at center after Ryan Kelly retired in the offseason, they lost Jalen Nailor in free agency, and shortened T.J. Hockenson’s contract.

However, they still have Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison out wide, Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones in the backfield, and much of their offensive line intact. If Kyler Murray can stay healthy and perform when the defense takes away his first read, they should have a functional offense – even with Michael Jurgens or Blake Brandel taking over at center.

Meanwhile, the Vikings chipped away at Flores’ defense in the offseason. They cut Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, two big acquisitions a year ago. Harrison Smith might retire. On Friday, they traded Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles. However, by then, it felt that Flores had taken control.

Flores likely made the call to take Caleb Banks in the first round. Coincidentally, it felt like an anti-Kwesi pick. The Vikings used pick 18 on the Florida defensive tackle, and the consensus board had him at 44. On a day when the draft went haywire and moved off consensus quickly, it appears Flores asked for a player who could unlock his defense. Brzezinski explained that Banks would have been a first-round pick had it not been for his foot injury, and the Vikings trust their doctors to take care of him.

Still, Minnesota’s most controversial move was trading Jonathan Greenard to Philadelphia. He’s a 28-year-old pass-rusher in his prime who leveraged an out in his contract to land a $100 million payday with the Eagles. His market value is $25 million per year, but Philadelphia only guaranteed him $50 million. He didn’t ask for more than he’s worth.

The Eagles sent Minnesota two third-round picks this year and one next year for Greenard, and the Vikings sent back a seventh.

Minnesota still has two pass rushers this year: Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel. However, Turner is 23 and only started coming on at the end of the season. Meanwhile, Van Ginkel is a proven star, but is also 30 years old. Greenard bridged the gap between them as a pass-rusher in the middle of his prime.

Ultimately, Flores must have a plan in place. The Vikings have gone almost all defense in the draft:

• Round 1, No. 18: Caleb Banks, DL, Florida
• Round 2, No. 51: Jake Golday, LB, Cincinnati
• Round 3, No. 82: Domonique Orange, NT, Ohio State
• Round 3, No. 97: Caleb Tiernan, OT, Northwestern
• Round 3, No. 98: Jakobe Thomas, S, Miami

Aside from Tiernan, a backup offensive tackle at a position where the Vikings have two stars, the Vikings exclusively took defensive players on Days 1 and 2.

O’Connell acted first, securing a proven – albeit flawed – quarterback, and cleaning up the books on Hockenson’s contract. In turn, the Vikings moved on from Allen and Hargrave, and eventually Greenard. However, Flores had to have influenced those decisions.

In a situation with an interim general manager and two high-profile coaches, the loudest voice may have won the argument for each pick. Minnesota also may have chosen to address the offense first and leave the draft to Flores.

Either way, he’s taken over. Now, the Vikings enter the season with a straightforward proposition. To make the playoffs, Kevin O’Connell must be right about Kyler Murray, and Brian Flores must be sure he has enough to work with after moving off three veteran defenders. Until then, we wait.