Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stole a player late in the 2024 NFL Draft who is now proving he can be a future starter for the Vikings

The NFL Draft has been a point of major contention for Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.

His first NFL Draft was in 2022, where he made 10 selections, and it was a disaster. All four picks made in the top 66 selections are off the roster, and those should be players who be a major part of the core roster. 2023 hasn't been much better, but they did nail the first-round pick in Jordan Addison. Fourth-round pick Jay Ward is still on the team, and they traded third-round pick Mekhi Blackmon to the Indianapolis Colts.

Fans and analysts alike have been very critical of Adofo-Mensah's resume in the NFL Draft, but the 2024 class is going to reshape that narrative.

Michael Jurgens is proving he can be a starter

We know that the Vikings have a lot of faith in both first round picks from 2024 in J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner. However, it's the day three picks that have really made an impression, especially the seventh-round picks.

Levi Drake Rodriguez was a fan favorite from the day he was drafted. He was Kalyn Kahler's "Prospect X" and his energy has been palpable both on and off the field. He's been a really good rotational player on an impressive defensive line. However, it's the other seventh round pick that is making waves.

Selected just two picks before Rodriguez, Michael Jurgens was taken at 230th overall as a center out of Wake Forest. It was an interesting selection, not because he was a 24 year old offensive lineman, but rather that Adofo-Mensah told Jurgens in his draft call that he viewed him as a future starter.

That's quite a bold thing to say to a seventh round pick. However, he might have been right.

On Sunday, Jurgens got his first start with Ryan Kelly out with a concussion. It wasn't the most ideal scenario, but he showed out in a big way. There are still some inconsistencies with pass protection (2 pressures allowed in 47 pass blocking reps) and there are some presnap issues to work out, but there is a really nice profile.

The first thing that stood out with Jurgens is his run blocking. He can do everything you want to run in a Kevin O'Connell offense, especially in wide and outside zone plays.

This is why Garrett Bradbury was the center for so long. He could climb to the second level easily and get a helmet on the second level. Jurgens has the athleticism to climb to the second level, and the technical prowess to aim properly. That's something that the likes of Ed Ingram and Dalton Risner struggled with last season. It doesn't matter if you can get to the second level if you don't block your man once you get there.

It's not just the athletic profile that is more than capable, but his raw power in the running game is impressive.

This is from the first play of the game against T.J. Slaton who is a beefy nose tackle. He gets out front with a scoop block and gets a lot of push on him. That's not the only play on Sunday he got a lot of push either. He drove another nose tackle B.J. Hill off the ball like crazy.

It's just a simple duo block from Jurgens and right guard Will Fries, but it's a critical one in the Vikings' offense. He is the engine behind him getting driven back off the line of scrimmage, giving running back Jordan Mason a path to gain substantial yardage.

Run blocking is easier to get down coming into the NFL, as it's mainly about power and being the aggressor. Pass protection is a little more technique and reactionary, and Jurgens has proved that he's capable enough in both. There is enough positive in his 47 snaps to continue building upon it moving forward.

Now, this is just an 84 snap sample size over two games. It's nowhere near enough to be certain about anything. However, Ryan Kelly's contract is setup with the idea that Jurgens could take over as the starter. Right now, Kelly's contract has a cap hit of just under $5.6 million, but they can save $12.1 million by moving on from him.

If they believe that Jurgens can become the next Matt Birk or John Sullivan, saving $12.1 million on the salary cap while paying Jurgens the salary of a seventh-round pick is a very appealing option, especially with being a projected $52.7 million over the salary cap before any rollover money. It would be a risk, as Jurgens has a limited sample size. However, it's a good problem to have with a young player who is emerging as a seventh-round pick.

This could be the shift in the discussion about Adofo-Mensah as a general manager, and it could be huge for making a Super Bowl run.

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