All the Vikings’ Money Should Go to 2 Spots

Minnesota Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah addressed the media about the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft from the TCO Performance Center. The Vikings have long-term draft needs at quarterback, cornerback, and interior offensive line. This offseason, the Minnesota Vikings have a boatload of cap space. That’s because they don’t pay a quarterback looking to cash in on every single payday. They should avoid committing big money to Sam Darnold and lopping off a good portion. If they stay the course, more than $70 million in room can go a long way. All the Vikings’ Money Should Go to 2 Spots Right now, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah doesn’t have much to lean on when it comes to draft picks. He could opt for the best player at a position of need in the first round or trade back and look to accumulate assets. No matter what, with plenty of free agents pending, he has holes to fill. Matt Krohn-Imagn Images. The cornerback room is currently a problem, and plenty of players are on their way out. In a passing league, that needs to be addressed. Beyond that, the offensive and defensive fronts require the most work. This season, veteran running back Aaron Jones struggled to run between the tackles. Some of that was his fault, but both guard positions leave plenty to be desired. Center Garrett Bradbury is not a wrecking ball by any means, and a lack of push on his edges generated real problems. Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports. Minnesota opted to start Blake Brandel at left guard. Although his performance began well, he quickly went downhill and became a clear liability. Kevin O’Connell stuck with Ed Ingram for an obnoxious amount of time before turning over the position to Dalton Risner on the right side. While Risner can hold his own in pass protection, he struggles to get any push. If the Vikings are going to have a more consistent offense this season, they’ll need an offensive front capable of pushing the opposition. Both guard spots are worth spending a considerable amount of money on. Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images. On the defensive side, nothing could have gone better than the contracts Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel signed. The edge-rushing tandem is so exciting. However, everything in between them is lackluster. The Vikings haven’t had strong interior defensive line play for a while now, and that’s an area they must figure out. Defensive tackles may not get the same praise that the sack masters do, but stuffing the run as Minnesota did without that talent was genuinely shocking. Next season, Adofo-Mensah must ensure his team is better equipped on both the offensive and defensive fronts. He has the capital to do so but must make it work. 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.