6 bold predictions for the Vikings in the 2022 NFL Draft
By Chris Schad
Minnesota will trade down at least once on Day 1 or Day 2
Speaking at his pre-draft press conference, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made it clear that he loves having options. With this year’s class, there are several prospects that could be similar in value, which means that trading down is a likely possibility.
“The draft is an auction,” Adofo-Mensah explained. “All it takes is one person to see that value. All these things that happened beforehand and all these things that get said, there’s somebody sitting in a building right now who thinks that player is going to be the next great player. That person might want to trade up for that player, and ultimately we’ll find that out on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, and we’ll be ready for it when it does.”
This comment is similar to what many general managers say before the draft. If a team calls, the Vikings are going to pick up the phone. For Adofo-Mensah, trading back early in this year’s draft makes sense.
Unless an elite prospect is on the board at 12, stockpiling assets would be a great idea. The Vikings could use that draft capital to either make a move in next year’s draft or acquire the depth this roster has lacked over the past two seasons.
Adofo-Mensah also warned that no amount of seventh-round picks could match a pick at the top of the draft. But after losing a fourth-rounder in the Chris Herndon trade, it might make sense to get that pick back and move ahead.