In his second NFL draft as the Minnesota Vikings general manager, we are still trying to figure out some of the things that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah prioritizes with prospects. One thing that is for certain is that the Vikings prioritize players that played in the Power Five conferences.
Through 14 selections across the two drafts he has been in charge, all of his selections have been across the Power Five:
- SEC — 6 players
- Big Ten — 3 players
- ACC — 2 players
- Pac-12 — 2 players
- Big 12 — 1 player
Why would Adofo-Mensah prioritize the Power Five? Better competition, facilities and coaching are likely why. Every player is going up a level in competition, but the players moving up from the Power Five are only going up one level instead of two.
In the 2023 NFL draft, Adofo-Mensah has selected a pair of teammates with his first four picks: Jordan Addison and Mekhi Blackmon from USC and Jay Ward and Jaquelin Roy from LSU.