2022 Early Draft Grade

[Purplepride323]

I know it’s early and the guys haven’t even played a game yet, but how do you think we did in the 2022 draft? I wasn’t too happy about us trading with divisional rivals and letting them move up to get their guy. Out of the 10 players we ended up drafting, I think we might only get 2 starters (Cine & Booth) out of the entire class. 

Overall I give Kwesi a C- grade for his first draft. Hopefully I’m wrong and this turns out to be an A+ class. 

Edited April 30, 2022 by Purplepride323

[Snake Plissken]

The direction they took was a bit surprising.  The picks were more “rebuild” than “competitive”— more building for a year or two  out than winning this season.  It seemed there was more of a focus on bringing in their guys and building to their system than filling needs and putting players around the current team. It wasn’t one pick or player in particular, but the overall results.  I expected to see more emphasis on positions like Edge, WR, TE, and DL.  Seems like we passed on these positions to take positions that seemed more set with starters or depth. 
 

1.  Even with S not being a top priority with Smith and Bynum, I am good with the Cine pick.  If you believe a guy is the bpa and an impact player, you take him

  2.   Getting Booth at 42 and filling the biggest need was a good move. 
 

2b.   Ingram is where things start to get a bit questionable.  The team appears to have some competition for the RG position with Davis and the players they brought in, and now Ingram.  The G position seems muddled even after drafting a player in round 2.  
 

3.   I like Asamoah and the value at 66, but the team is set with Kendricks and Hicks as starting ILBs for the immediate future.  Could be a rotational guy this year. 
 

4.  CB was our top need going into the draft.  Even with PP, Danzler, Sullivan, and now Booth, it is not a bad idea to add another CB.  But the team could have also taken a player who could contribute more this season and beyond. 
 

5.  I like Otomewo at this spot.  And I like what we have put together on the DL with Hunter, Tomlinson, Watts,Lynch, and Phillips. Another player who won’t likely contribute much this season, but has potential beyond.  
 

6.  Chandler is another player I like, but at a position with Cook, Mattison, and Nwangwu.  Will be interesting to see how KOC uses his skill set. 
 

7.  Lowe. An odd fit and pick.  A tackle with size, but question if he has athleticism to play T or beat out Brandel or Udoh for an eventual spot. 
 

8.  McCardell pounded the table for him says something.  Would have liked to have seen a WR sooner, but maybe he can step up ala Osborn. 
 

9.  I know KOC like 1 TE sets, but felt there were a number of contributors earlier and don’t see a starting level TE on the roster if Irv is out.  

[Vikes_Bolts1228]

For having the #12 pick, I don't see a true impact player in our draft class. That being said, Cine and Booth should be solid contributors to this team but we're probably not going to see much from them in 2022 with Hitman, Bynum and probably easing Cine into things since we have a veteran CB room. Good picks with very good value.

Ingram, I feel, was a big reach. I don't think he's much better than what we already have competing at guard. And just based off certain things that have came to light about him, I don't like the pick nor do I think I can root for the guy to get the job.

Asamoah.....could be a starter but just like Cine and Booth, he'll be behind entrenched starters for a year or two.

Evans....probably a special teamer for 2 years. Would rather have seen other needs filled instead of another CB but whatever.

Otomewo....depth but in a position where we could always use it.

Chandler.....OK whatever. 4th string RB? Maybe getting ready for Mattison leaving?

Muse....doubt he makes the team

---------------------

Overall: No day one starters. Seems our top-4 picks were drafted with 2023+ in mind. Have to think that we'll be going offense heavy in the, well, offense heavy 2023 draft where we'll need a QB and WR. 

I don't mind the trades back but absolutely hate the fact that the first two trades back helped the Lions grab a huge playmaker at WR and got Rodgers a WR of his own. That's just really annoying. If we don't trade back with GB in the 2nd, there may have been another couple WRs taken before the 50's.

I'll give it a C+ and see what happens.

 

[CriminalMind]

Pretty underwhelming prospect class. Would have preferred we stick and pick at #12 and maybe get an impact player. I don’t see that in this class. Just usable bodies.

[ArcticNorseman]

I gave this draft a B.   Not being even close to Stingley or Gardner, I think the trade back was a good move, but like many, dropping 20 slots was shocking.  Now, looking at the 32nd and 34th picks yielding Cine and Booth, I'm stoked about those guys.  

The Ingram pick I'm waiting to see how he acts, as well as how he plays.  Asamoah will be worth every penny -- the guy's a football player, and fast!

Beyond those guys, I think they added some needed depth pieces.   I feel this draft was as much about being frugal as it was to address obvious needs.   It can be argued they did not go BPA.

I have to believe the DE/OLB roster is built the way the staff wants it.   The WR group is stacked 3 deep with ISM and Chisena in reserve, but Nailor could be a surprise.

Getting another RB to prep as Mattison's replacement is just smart.   I just hope Tomlinson, Watts, and Phillips can dominate the middle . . . And the other side of the trenches gets respectable.

[Ozzy]

I would say C or around there.

 

Kyle Hamilton, Jordan Davis, Jameson Williams.

 

Passing on all of them could be a massive mistake, much less trading in the division and giving two athletic deep threat receivers to your competition seems pretty stupid honestly.

 

Getting Ingram and Booth in the 2nd could save them maybe but again seems odd getting Ingram when they already got Davis and Reed at OG in free agency and have Wyatt Davis but maybe they had all those dudes or something.  

 

 

If they did not trade down they could have missed on Andrew Booth and granted that could have been bad, but if they would have stayed and liked safety as the biggest need they could have done this.

1st Kyle Hamilton
2nd Cam Taylor-Britt
3rd Nakobe Dean/Marcus Jones/Demarvin Leal    (could have taken any of them in the 3rd and still not sure about the need for a ILB but Dean is better than Asamoah)
5th Zyon McCollum/Dominique Robinson/James Mitchell   (McCollum was right there in the 5th which is insane to me, or get a edge guy like Robinson or a TE)
6th Vederian Lowe  (actually like that original pickup they did and he is a decent developmental tackle)
6th Jalen Nailor  (I like that original pickup and he is a smooth route runner with great hands) 
6th Connor Heyward/Cade Mays/John Fitzpatrick 
7th Jesse Luketa/Jeffrey Gunter/Andre Anthony

 

I think I would have liked that draft a bit more because the high end talent but if Cine turns out better than Hamilton it is a massive win, just the questions for me are why trade so far out of the 12th and Asamoah at ILB seems odd considering you have Surratt who maybe they hate as well.  That Asamoah thing still, you passed on Muma, Dean, Harris, Clark and Chenal to get him.  All are better than Asamoah, granted Clark has that injury thing which I did not know about and sure Dean did not workout and has been hurt but Muma is a stud and Harris can really fly around.

[skywindO2]

Draft grades are like PFF scores. They only matter when they support they narrative you’re trying to create.

Edited May 1, 2022 by skywindO2

[SemperFeist]

2 minutes ago, skywindO2 said:

Draft grades like PFF scores. They only matter when they support they narrative you’re trying to create.

This. Every draft grade is simply someone stacking which ever teams drafted more players that that person had ranked higher. 

6 months from now at least half of the names that people have been clamoring for and debating about for the past 6 weeks will all but be forgotten. They’ll be buried on a depth chart, or they’ll be on a team’s practice squad. 

[battle2heaven]

Thought exercise on the First round trade 

so these are the cbs that went after booth. We can all agree it’s a pretty big cliff drop off, right? Booth was the last tier of that late first/early 2nd group of cbs

alontae Taylor (lot of draft people thought he projected better at safety)

cam Taylor Britt (they have him listed as safety now?)

martin Emerson 

Marcus Jones (slot only)

 

so not taking into account the capital to obtain the other picks and players they got, what do you think is more valuable:

lewis Cine and Andrew booth

or

kyle Hamilton and one of those cbs listed above

 

i think I take Cine and booth pretty easily. While I really like Kyle Hamilton, I think he’s being overrated as a generational safety prospect. I think that’s a bit hyperbolic as he’s not even as good as Derwin James and James just came out a few years ago. 
 

so when you look at the trade in that lens and see the clear drop off in secondary talent, with the Vikings understanding that last tiered player before cliff drop off wasn’t going to get to 46, the trade made sense from a Vikings perspective. 
 

i think the talent level/prospect level is a lot closer between Hamilton and Cine then booth and any of those cbs.

[vike daddy]

i'm not a baseball fan at all, but Kwesi is playing Moneyball, right?

in that he's drafting base hitters and base stealers. you can go for the homerun hitter but also watch them strike out. the guys he drafted this weekend are expected to advance the runners consistently.

[gopherwrestler]

35 minutes ago, skywindO2 said:

Draft grades like PFF scores. They only matter when they support they narrative you’re trying to create.

One thing I did notice, bringing up PFF, most the players drafted had pretty decent pff scores

[Sad People]

I dont mind the draft gave him a B although I didnt pay much attention this offseason as I havent been able to focus on hardly anything

I like that we focused on defense, To me our offense is pretty set and can put up points with just about anyone in the league (need help along the OL and we addressed that a bit) it was our defense that let us down last year from what I remember

[SteelKing728]

I don't think this will end up being a good class overall. I think it'll be mostly forgettable, just like our draft class.

I think 1.12 would have been a perfect place to get a difference maker in Jordan Davis. Instead we move back for an okay Safety who if he doesn't start this year, he will next year. Lewis Cine doesn't seem like a day 1 player, but you'll get that with pick 1.32.

I really like Andrew Booth Jr and he fits the mold of a ballhawk CB who can play in multiple fronts. Evans will fight with Kris Boyd and Harrison Hand for the last CB spot.

I don't care at all for either OL.

The DE, WR and TE are all pure depth. Hopefully they develop into decent role players.

Asamoah could be a special teams ace for us. I think he was a bit overdrafted though.

I give it a C. It looks like another season watching from the sidelines in January after this draft.

[CriminalMind]

I think if we started

1-12 — J Williams / J Davis

2-42 — A Booth (via trade up from 2-46 using a 5th)

That would have been a home-run. 

[PrplChilPill]

I count at least two starters, maybe four. I can't see how that's not a B.

Ignore the process, and look at the first two picks.... That's what I've chosen to do. Is much rather have the two of them, than one safety.... Much.