4 biggest Minnesota Vikings draft and UDFA steals in 2022
By Dean Jones
Who were the biggest draft and undrafted free-agent steals made by the Minnesota Vikings in 2022?
It did not take long for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to stamp his mark on the Minnesota Vikings this offseason. An impressive spell of recruitment in free agency was followed up by some bold moves during the 2022 NFL Draft, which also saw the new general manager make deals with the team’s NFC North rivals along the way.
Whether this is something the Vikings will regret in the long run remains to be seen. But it’s hard to look at their roster now with anything other than positivity heading into OTAs and training camp.
Minnesota can feel cautiously optimistic about a playoff return after missing out over the last two years. This will be a positive step in the right direction and one that is more than attainable given the talent possessed by the Vikings.
If some rookies can also contribute, the better their chances will be. Here are the four biggest draft and undrafted free-agent steals made by the Vikings in 2022.
Player No. 1
Luiji Vilain – LB
There is no doubt that Luiji Vilain was a hot commodity on the undrafted free-agent market once the three-day selection process came to a conclusion. Fortunately for the Vikings, they presented the former Wake Forest standout with a financial package and opportunity that was hard to turn down.
Vilain is a tremendous athlete that could become a sideline-to-sideline presence with additional refinement. He will need to become more disciplined against the run, but working alongside two studs in Jordan Hicks and Eric Kendricks should also help his cause enormously.
This could be a steal if Vilain makes the 53-man roster. He also has the explosiveness to become a special team ace while getting other areas of his game up to speed.