What Draft Pick Would Upset Vikings Fans the Most?

Kwesi-Adofo Mensah can see it now.

The Minnesota Vikings have packed U.S. Bank Stadium for their draft party. Thousands of purple-clad fans are waiting in anticipation. The Vikings are finally on the clock. “The Pick Is In” flashes across the screen. A hush falls over the crowd.

Roger Goodell marches to the podium. He reads the name of the newest Viking. The fans erupt with joy. Several fans are crowd surfing. Others are spraying bottles of champagne. Paul Allen screams and rips off his shirt. The crowd starts chanting.

“KWE-SI! KWE-SI! KWE-SI!!!”

Adofo-Mensah wakes up from his dream. He knows that while there is a universe where the fans love his first draft pick, there’s another where they are ready to run him out of town. It will be the pick that ownership will have the most information on when his first contract expires. It could decide his fate in Minnesota.

The Vikings enter this year’s draft with many possibilities. If they take Derek Stingley Jr., it could give them a shutdown corner. If Kyle Hamilton falls, he could be an elite tag-team partner for Harrison Smith. And if Kayvon Thibodeaux is available, he’s an insurance plan at edge rusher.

All of these selections would appease their fanbase. But which draft pick would trigger them the most?

An obvious candidate is Tyler Linderbaum. Drafting a center with the 12th-overall pick will give fans flashbacks of Garrett Bradbury. One look at his spider chart will give everyone a full-blown nightmare.

Linderbaum’s measurements check in smaller than Bradbury's. His height was in the sixth percentile. His weight was in the fifth. And his wingspan and arm length are in the first. After being unable to work out at the combine due to a foot injury, there’s no bench-press number to justify this pick.

Even Linderbaum’s scouting report suggests that Kenny Clark will eat this man’s soul alive.

“His size will make block finishing somewhat hit or miss, and he will need help against some of the bigger defenders lining up across from him,” NFL.com’s Lance Zuerlein wrote. “Teams with certain size standards will pass on him, but his tenacity and talent make him a can’t-miss prospect if matched in the right scheme.”

For what it’s worth, Austin Corbett started at center for Kevin O’Connell and the Los Angeles Rams. At 6'4", 306 lbs., it doesn’t seem like Linderbaum would be a guy the Vikings would covet at 12. But it also would be an understandable pick.

At 22 years old, Linderbaum is two years younger than Bradbury was when he was drafted. Taking him could be an avenue to add strength and become a better pass protector. With a healthier set of knees than J.C. Tretter, Linderbaum could be a long-term solution at center. Fans would grit their teeth. But they would at least understand.

The same goes for Alabama receiver Jameson Williams. If the Vikings took a receiver in the first round, an initial look at the roster would have some miffed. They have Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. K.J. Osborn broke out last season, and Ihmir Smith-Marsette could do the same this year.

Williams also suffered a torn ACL in last year’s College Football Playoff. It’s possible he won’t be able to play until November. If that’s the case, it does nothing for a team hell-bent on making the playoffs this year.

But Williams offers something the Vikings don’t have. With a 4.3-second time in the 40-yard dash, Williams can take the top off the defense. That speed helped Williams put up big numbers in college, catching 79 passes for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns last season.

With Thielen serving as a red-zone target and Jefferson making the flashy plays, defenses would have to pick their poison. That makes Williams a sexier choice than drafting a center. Fans would have to wait, but at least they would see the big picture.

So the Vikings need a center. They need a wide receiver. Cornerback is probably a good pick. And if they decide to take an edge rusher or safety, it would make sense.

But you know what the Vikings really need? Another nose tackle.

The Vikings have moved heaven and earth to add nose tackles the past two seasons. The Michael Pierce signing proved to be a bust. Dalvin Tomlinson isn’t far behind. It’s unlikely that the newly signed Harrison Phillips will make a massive impact.

Enter Jordan Davis.

Davis proved to be an alien at the NFL Scouting Combine. At 6'6", 341 lbs., he graded in the 97th percentile with a 4.78-second 40-yard dash. He graded in the 99th percentile with a 123” broad jump. His 32” vertical leap looked like something out of a video game. He’s a walking horror movie.

The Vikings could look at Davis and see another impact player on defense. In Ed Donatell’s scheme, Davis could man the middle of the 3-4 while Phillips and Tomlinson play on the ends. Remember that Za’Darius Smith and Danielle Hunter will be rushing from an outside linebacker position, so the ends are like having two extra defensive tackles on the field.

The main goal of a first-round pick should be to find someone that moves the needle. With a perfect relative athletic score (RAS), Davis is that guy. He needs to work on his pass-rushing moves but adding him to a team that was 26th (2021) and 27th (2020) in rushing defense the past two seasons.

Adofo-Mensah’s first offseason as general manager has been filled with unpopular moves. Taking another nose tackle won’t have the fans celebrating like when they picked Laquon Treadwell