Justin Jefferson presented the biggest test for Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, as there is mounting evidence that the wide receiver position affects an NFL game more than quarterback position.
Through his first four seasons, the 25-year-old superstar wide receiver had amassed the most receiving yards of any player in league history, establishing a strong case to be the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league in addition to being the highest-paid receiver.
However, with the amount of talent and readiness prospects are displaying right now, top-end receivers are becoming more and more common after college. Seven wide receivers were selected in the first round of the 2024 draft, which is a record. There have been 28 receivers selected in the first round since 2020. In the previous decade, thirty-four were taken in the first round.
Seven first-round receivers selected since 2020 who have participated in a full season of league play have appeared in Pro Bowls, and fourteen have finished with a season of 1,000 yards or more.
One could argue that Jefferson doesn’t need a premium contract given the impact freshmen receivers are making right out of college. When the Vikings traded for Stefon Diggs the same year they extended Kirk Cousins’ contract and selected Jefferson with that pick, they were ahead of the curve.
Adofo-Mensah is well aware of the financial burden that Jefferson’s four-year, $140 million extension will entail, but he also knows that superstar talent, which is hard to come by in free agency, is essential to creating a winning organization.
Adofo-Mensah offered his evaluation of Jefferson’s megadeal, asking, “Would I rather have a quarterback at this level, a wide receiver at this level, or a rusher at this level,” as reported by The Star Tribune. “But ultimately, there’s a certain level of talent that it requires, studying teams that have advanced to the NFC Championship [Game], AFC Championship [Game], and Super Bowl level.”
How the Vikings’ Super Bowl window is being opened by Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Minnesota Vikings Getty General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah of the Minnesota Vikings.
Adofo-Mensah labeled the following two seasons as a “competitive rebuild” when he assumed the position of general manager in 2022. In an effort to keep the team together and maintain their hopes of making the playoffs, he tried to make the most of a roster full of veteran talent that Rick Spielman had severely damaged in the future.
Although extremely successful, the 2022 season was determined by incredibly narrow margins. After winning 11-0 in single-score games during the regular season, the Vikings’ 13-4 campaign came to an end in a first-round playoff loss to the New York Giants.
Adofo-Mensah kept a competitive culture in place while gradually cutting down the roster until the big moment—breaking up with Cousins—came.
Adofo-Mensah remarked, “I walked into a team that I thought, Kevin [O’Connell] thought, could win in Year 1.” “But in the end, we realized we had to arrive here.”
An extensive 85-day revamp of the franchise ensued.
from Ben Goessling of The Star Tribune:
The Vikings, from March 11 to June 3:
• Permitted their best pass rusher and starting quarterback to depart via free agency;
• Selected 14 unrestricted free agents, three of whom started as linebackers, a starting cornerback, and a starting running back;
• Made the first tradeup in the history of the team to choose a quarterback among the top 10;
• Moved up once more in the first round, for the first time since 2005, to select a pass rusher;
• With a contract that includes nearly $70 million in cash over the first two years, their top receiver became the highest-paid nonquarterback in NFL history.
They spent a lot of money on players they believe can lead the team, both in terms of cash and draft choices. The Vikings may have given themselves a window of opportunity for conflict if it succeeds.
The next phase will determine how the Vikings handle Jefferson’s contract, which is ultimately where Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell saw themselves when they took over in 2022.
This isn’t a self-congratulatory moment; that’s not how it works. Though plans don’t get you very far in this league, we’re happy with ours,” Adofo-Mensah continued. “It involves me coming in with my staff and trying to improve the team as best we can, and it involves showing up here on the grass every day and getting better.”
A Good Problem Is Ahead for the Vikings with Justin Jefferson and J.J. McCarthy
J.J. McCarthy, #9 of the Minnesota Vikings, pictured.
Even though having a quarterback who is a superstar is ideal, very few players are actually worth the high salary that they can demand.
After Tyreek Hill was traded to the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs refused to pay him $30 million a year, the team is rotating through receivers on rookie-scale contracts.
The Chiefs, with a transcendent quarterback in Patrick Mahomes, can afford to take chances at receiver, many of which have not worked out. Mahomes has the ability to both enhance and offset the talent surrounding him.
The Vikings hope J.J. McCarthy will show them that someday.
The Vikings are aiming to have a roster that is similar to either the Philadelphia Eagles or the San Francisco 49ers over the next four years. Both clubs have strong rosters and competent but not exceptional quarterbacks.
McCarthy will probably become one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league if he performs at a level that exceeds his expectations and he can establish himself as a capable playmaker outside of the Vikings’ offensive system.
However, that crossroads is at least four years off. Nevertheless, McCarthy’s rookie contract will have the best development path thanks to Jefferson, who is currently the biggest cheat code.
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