Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah preparing for all scenarios in first round of 2024 NFL Draft

Essentially, Adofo-Mensah isn’t going to use both first-round picks to move up and select a quarterback just to draft a replacement for Cousins. It’s about finding the right fit, which is why Minnesota attempted to protect itself against a nightmare scenario by signing Sam Darnold in free agency.

Still, the Vikings need a long-term option under center. Darnold hasn’t proven he can be that guaranteed solution, but neither will have any rookie who walks into Minnesota’s building, even if such expectation follows a first-round selection.

Adofo-Mensah isn’t shying from the reality that the Vikings need more than Darnold, though, and with two first-rounders in hand (Nos. 11 and 23), they’re armed with enough capital to move up if the timing and fit are right. There’s inherent risk, but that shouldn’t deter Adofo-Mensah — or any general manager, for that matter — from making such a move. As Bruce Arians once said, no risk it, no biscuit.

“Just because something is risky doesn’t mean you have to stay away from it,” Adofo-Mensah said. “It’s something that is hard to grasp, but if you grasp it, you know what the rewards are, right? And that’s something you have to weigh and measure. … You can look at countless examples of other teams who’ve made decisions, but maybe the decision you thought was going to be the decision, it was a different decision that ended up being right and the outcomes were good.

… “I think our odds will be better than the margins. How good are those odds? I think it’s still a pretty risky thing, but just because something’s risky doesn’t mean you’re scared from it, you’re scared of it — you just have to believe. It’s uncertain, right? It’s uncertain and we have to take our swing, but that doesn’t give us any pause, I would say.”