Can the Vikings Afford to Pick in the 1st Round?

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The Minnesota Vikings finished the regular season with a 14-3 record. They then travelled to Los Angeles, err Arizona, to face the Rams. That game didn’t go well, and their season ended abruptly. The way the standings shook out gave them the 24th overall pick during this April’s draft.

Can the Vikings Afford to Pick in the 1st Round?

Unfortunately for the purple front office, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah currently has just three draft picks to work with. After 24, the Vikings don’t have another selection until the fifth round. For a team with as many holes as they have, that’s a real problem.

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With the 24th overall selection, Minnesota finds itself in a position where it almost certainly finds fringe first-round talent. If they see a couple of key players in the second or third rounds as difference-makers, it would make ample sense to stack additional picks and give themselves an opportunity.

Cap space is a friend for this Vikings team. They are flush with more than $60 million of spending power at their disposal. They need to be active in free agency and start understanding what their draft blueprint will look like.

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Kevin O’Connell’s team needs to work on the interior of both lines. They have cornerback questions. They need a running back or two. The good news is that the vast majority of those spots are very deep in talent when looking at the 2025 NFL Draft class. If the Vikings can pick their favorites and give themselves more opportunities to land them, they will certainly be better off.

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah doesn’t have to turn into Rick Speilman. In fact, it’s probably more beneficial that he doesn’t. If there’s something that the Vikings’ general manager has proven to struggle with, it’s identifying talent through the draft. Maybe he can right that wrong this season, and that would go a long way to maximizing the talent that Minnesota is set to acquire.

Minnesota General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah joined Paul Allen to talk about a variety of topics, including previewing the Week 8 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams. October 22nd, 2024. MIN finished 14-2 in the 2024 regular season.

Ultimately, it seems unrealistic to think Minnesota will make just three picks in April. If they do go that route, it is best to get each one right.

Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.