Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah may have to alter team building strategy because of something he can't control

When looking at the Minnesota Vikings team building strategy under general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, it's a fascinating topic. You can look at things in multiple layers when having this discussion because it's been an interesting first two-and-a-half years with the Vikings.

Adofo-Mensah took over for Rick Spielman back in January of 2022 to rebuild the Vikings into a perennial playoff team. He had a long road in front of him to make that happen with the starting point being a mountain of salary cap debt needing to be addressed.

It was going to be a long battle to get out of the salary cap hole that Spielman dug for the Vikings but it was necessary for the long-term vision Adofo-Mensah had. We are starting to see that vision come into focus over the last six months but a rash of injuries could prevent us from seeing it work.

Injuries could hinder Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's team-building strategy

As we take a look at how Adofo-Mensah has built the Vikings roster over the last two years, we are starting to focus on multiple elements.

• Adofo-Mensah pays premium players premium money
• Moneyball is the strategy for non-premium positions
• Cornerback is more of a dart-throw approach

That last line is the most intriguing. When you look at how Adofo-Mensah has approached roster building, the cornerback position has been an odd one in terms of additions.

In free agency, the Vikings have added some talented pieces but haven't broken the bank over the last three years. Patrick Peterson was brought back on a one-year deal for $4 million in 2022 and Shaquill Griffin was signed to the same deal this offseason. The biggest contract given to a cornerback was Byron Murphy Jr. who received a two-year deal with a max value of $22 million. That's at best $11 million per year when the top of the market is over $20 million per season.

It isn't just free agency that Adofo-Mensah has addressed the position. He has made a significant investment in terms of quantity at the position in the NFL Draft.

• 2022: Andrew Booth Jr. (2nd round), Akayleb Evans (4th round)
• 2023: Mekhi Blackmon (3rd Round
• 2024: Khyree Jackson (4th round)

That is a lot of talent for the Vikings to bring in at the position. It also should be noted that both Booth and Evans were specifically selected for the Vic Fangio-style scheme that the Vikings ran under Ed Donatell. That experiment lasted just one season and, along with the selections of safety Lewis Cine and inside linebacker Brian Asamoah II, taught Adofo-Mensah that it can be harmful to pick players specifically for one scheme, especially if it doesn't work out.

Cornerback is where things get interesting. Without a single top-40 pick and one sizable investment at the position, does Adofo-Mensah believe that cornerback is a premium position? His actions show that he doesn't see it that way, but rather in a similar way to the offensive line.

When you build an offensive line, it's about having no weaknesses. If you don't have a hole in the group, the defense can't attack one spot. It makes the group stronger as a complete unit. That appears to be how Adofo-Mensah was building his cornerback room with talented pieces that can fill roles and be versatile across the board.

That strategy was very intriguing going into the season. I relate it to the 2021 Cincinnati Bengals who didn't have a single standout at cornerback but three solid players and a talented safety room, both of which the Vikings have. However, the last month has put a significant hindrance on that plan with the tragic passing of Khyree Jackson and Mekhi Blackmon suffering a torn ACL.

With those players not suiting up for the Vikings this season, the idea of cultivating competition with upside players has gone down the drain for the 2024 season. What does that mean for the future of the room with the Vikings? Will Adofo-Mensah continue to try this out with some roster moves to build up the room again or does this completely shift his way of thinking and he goes after a player like Marshon Lattimore in a trade?

Only time will tell on his thought process, but his current method of building the cornerback position might need to evolve.