Souhan: Viewed through 2025 eyes, the Vikings’ draft mistakes look even worse

Almost everything that is wrong with the 2025 Vikings could have been fixed if General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had adopted one simple philosophy:

Don’t get cute in the first round of the NFL draft.

With J.J. McCarthy lacking the basic fundamentals of a good NFL quarterback and linebacker Dallas Turner continuing to disappoint, Adofo-Mensah’s draft record has gone from bad to clown-hiding-in-the-sewer caliber horror show.

Let’s not get caught in the weeds by analyzing every pick he’s made. Nobody bats 1.000 in the draft, and sometimes taking the right guy in the fourth round requires luck.

But if you want to keep your job, you’d better hit on a decent percentage of first-round picks, especially the ones you trade up to get.

Let’s look at the three times Adofo-Mensah has moved around in the first round and how those decisions have impacted the 2025 team.

In Adofo-Mensah’s first draft, he traded the 12th pick in the first round to the Detroit Lions, receiving the 32nd, 34th and 66th picks as compensation.

Even if the Vikings hadn’t taken Hamilton, they would have been in position to take Lions rising star receiver Jameson Williams or Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis. Having Williams would have meant the Vikings could have spent their 2023 first-round pick on someone other than Jordan Addison; having Davis would have upgraded their defensive line. The Vikings instead spent $81 million this offseason to sign Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, who aren’t as good as Davis.

Instead of taking Hamilton, Williams or Davis, the Vikings chose safety Lewis Cine at No. 32, guard Ed Ingram at 59 and linebacker Brian Asamoah II at 66. None remain with the team.

On to the 2024 draft. The Vikings had the 11th and 23rd picks in the first round. This was their chance to find their franchise quarterback and defensive centerpiece.

They traded into the 10th slot to take McCarthy and into the 17th slot to take Turner.

We now know that they could have stayed at No. 11 and taken Broncos rising star quarterback Bo Nix. Had they stayed at No. 23, they would not have been guaranteed to get a better player than Turner, but they could have taken Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins, a standout.

The Vikings traded extra picks for the right to take two players who, to put it as kindly as possible, were not NFL-ready, then they had to overspend in veteran free agency and make trades to make up for their draft mistakes.

Expecting perfection in the draft is silly, but the Vikings’ recent batting average has dipped below the Mendoza Line. (Look it up.)

If the Vikings had done nothing but take players that the Ravens wound up selecting, they would have Hamilton, a star safety, and Wiggins, a talented young corner, and their defense would have produced more than nine turnovers in 10 games.

Choosing McCarthy over Nix is the biggest decision Adofo-Mensah has made. What’s fascinating about that choice is that Nix completed 77.4% of his passes for 45 touchdowns and just three interceptions in his last year in college. McCarthy completed 72.3% of his passes, with 22 touchdowns and four interceptions.

Nix, 24 when he was drafted, was more prolific and efficient. He’s also built sturdier, and he played in 61 college games. McCarthy, drafted at 21, played in 40.