Vikings GM's 1st Draft Decision Looks Even Worse After Massive Contract Extension

Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has had plenty of highs during his tenure and was able to swing a deal to bring back receiver Adam Thielen on Wednesday morning. But the lows have also been glaring when it comes to the 2022 draft class.

Adofo-Mensah’s first draft class is looking bleaker by the day as only running back Ty Chandler and wide receiver Jalen Nailor remain after the team finalized its 53-man roster on Tuesday. With several players failing to latch on elsewhere, the 2022 class rivals similar whiffs in 2005 featuring Troy Williamson and Erasmus James and 2016 with Laquon Treadwell and Willie Beavers.

Bad draft classes can always set back a franchise and things can always get worse. One of Adofo-Mensah’s biggest mistakes in that draft continues to haunt him and got even worse thanks to some major contract news that dropped on Wednesday morning.

Kyle Hamilton’s Massive Extension Makes Vikings’ Lewis Cine Trade Look Even Worse

According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Baltimore Ravens have agreed to a four-year contract extension with safety Kyle Hamilton. The deal with the All-Pro safety is reportedly worth over $100 million but the trauma Adofo-Mensah has caused by passing on Hamilton in the 2022 draft is priceless.

Hamilton was considered the best safety in that draft, but the Vikings were reportedly not interested in taking him with the 12th overall pick. Instead, Minnesota traded down 20 spots to the end of the first round to select Lewis Cine while Hamilton fell to the Ravens at the 14th overall pick.

Things have worked out great for the Ravens since then as Hamilton has become one of the best safeties in the league. The Notre Dame product posted a career-high 90.1 overall grade according to Pro Football Focus last year and excels in coverage with six interceptions and 14 pass breakups over his first three seasons.

The same can’t be said for the decision to settle for Cine. Coming off a standout career at Georgia, Cine struggled to get on the field in his rookie season before breaking his leg on a punt return during an October 2022 game in London. While he recovered for the 2023 season, Cine never flashed, logging one total tackle while appearing in seven games on special teams.

Cine was released at the end of the preseason in 2024 and spent time with the Buffalo Bills before signing with the Philadelphia Eagles late last year. The 26-year-old was waived with an injury settlement after the Vikings traded Sam Howell to Philadelphia this week and is currently looking for a team to join for the start of the 2025 season.

The decision to pass on Hamilton for Cine is one of the worst in Vikings history and is made even worse considering the trade gave the Detroit Lions Jameson Williams. In addition to his lone reception in his rookie year being a 41-yard touchdown against the Vikings, Williams is set to cash in with his own contract extension after becoming part of the Lions’ high-powered offense.

Perhaps this will just go down as a learning experience for Adofo-Mensah in his first year as general manager. But with just two players left from his first draft class and two players left from his 2023 class, he’ll have to avoid more decisions like this to keep their Super Bowl window open.

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