Is there any hope for the Minnesota Vikings 2022 Draft Class?
By Nik Edlund
Minnesota Vikings 2022 Draft Class
Can it be saved?
So, can this draft class be saved? Probably not. It will always be considered a failure because Lewis Cine is 100 percent looking like a bust, and the Vikings passed on some high-end talent to select him.
Linebacker Brian Asamoah also looks unsavable and could be cut in camp. There are also misses in the middle rounds in the forms of Akayleb Evans and Esezi Otomewo that the team can't make up for.
While it will likely always be considered a failure, there's still hope that enough good can come out of it that it isn't considered one of the worst classes in Minnesota history.
For that to happen, some things need to occur.
First of all, right guard Ed Ingram needs to continue to develop. He got better in year two, and if, for some reason, he continues to develop and becomes a Pro Bowl-caliber right guard, that would be huge.
Booth also started to show some promise late in the season. He saw some snaps on defense and graded out pretty well.
Maybe that will give him the confidence he needs and he can shock the world by playing very well in camp and earning a more prominent role on this defense.
This class would also need Jalen Nailor to stay healthy and start producing to save it.
He's got a great opportunity to compete to be wide receiver No. 3 next season if K.J. Osborn moves on in free agency. Again, that won't happen if he's watching from the sidelines.
Nick Muse could also see an increased role next season. Johnny Mundt is a free agent, and the Vikings could just roll with Muse instead of re-signing the veteran.
One other aspect that could help this class down the road is if the team hits on the draft pick it got in the Vederian Lowe trade.
So yes, if all those dominoes fall, this class could be salvaged to the point of not being historically bad.
Those chances are very slim, but for those Kwesi Adofo-Mensah supporters who are rooting hard for his success, there's a sliver of hope.