The Vikings Have An Opportunity To Upstage the Packers At the Draft

People notice when a 313 lb. man runs a sub-5.00 40-yard dash.

At the NFL Combine this week, Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon took off at a speed that should be physically impossible for a man his size. Scouts got out their stopwatches and murmured something to their general managers. Defensive coaches got a glint in their eyes.

Harmon would be a perfect fit for the Green Bay Packers, who have the 23rd pick this year. The Minnesota Vikings pick 24th and must improve in the trenches, so they scheduled a meeting with him in Indianapolis. There’s a chance the Packers pass on Harmon, and Minnesota makes them regret it for years.

Green Bay is hosting the draft this year, and outgoing Packers CEO Mark Murphy has worked to get the draft since 2016. However, he’s allowed Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst to move the pick if Gutekunst feels he should move down.

"Having the draft in Green Bay really doesn't change anything for how we go about that," Gutekunst said from Indianapolis last Tuesday. "We're going to do what's best for the Green Bay Packers. If that's trading out of the pick, we're going to do it."

However, there’s also a good chance the Vikings trade their first-rounder. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah seems to value picks more than when Minnesota hired him in 2022. Still, the Vikings only have their first-rounder, two fifths, and a potential third for losing Kirk Cousins.

Therefore, Adofo-Mensah may want to trade down to acquire more draft capital. In 2022, he needed to fill out the roster after taking over and went full Wall Street trying to find value in the draft. The Vikings had the 12th pick in Adofo-Mensah’s first draft, but he sent it to the Detroit Lions for picks 32, 34, and 66; they took Jameson Williams. Minnesota selected Lewis Cine at 32 and traded 34 to the Packers, who took Christian Watson.

In a post-draft interview with NBC’s Peter King, he dismissed the risk of trading within the division.

“I’m not dumb. I know every touchdown catch [Williams] scores against us, TV will show me or show my name,” Adofo-Mensah said. “That’s life. If my feelings are going to get in the way of us making decisions to improve the team, I shouldn’t be in this seat.”

Regarding his decision to trade pick 34 to Green Bay for two second-rounders, Adofo-Mensah said, “It’d just have been about saving face with the media” if he passed on the deal.

Fans wouldn’t have been concerned about trading within the division had Minnesota’s draft panned out. However, the Vikings waived Cine last year. Andrew Booth (42), Ed Ingram (59), and Brian Asamoah (66) were Minnesota’s next three picks. They’ve traded Booth and benched Ingram, and Asamoah primarily plays a special teams role.

The Vikings have gone 34-17 since Adofo-Mensah took over, including a 13-win season in 2022 and winning 14 games last year. Ownership extended Kevin O'Connell but hasn’t done the same with Adofo-Mensah. They may want to wait and see how he handles the draft before extending him.

Given that the Vikings would have been better off staying at 12 and taking Jordan Davis or Kyle Hamilton in 2022, Adofo-Mensah may be reluctant to move his first-round pick this year. Minnesota could use more draft capital after moving up for J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner last season. Still, there are players like Harmon available late in the first round, and the Vikings must bolster their defensive line.

Gutekunst and Adofo-Mensah may talk about acting rationally and not allowing feelings to determine their decision-making. However, the Packers are hosting the draft. Vikings fans would love it if they rue passing on a player like Harmon in the first round, only to see him thrive in purple.

Adofo-Mensah may come from Wall Street. Still, he may not be able to pass up an opportunity to stick it to the Packers while making a selection on 1265 Lombardi Ave.