Getty General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah of the Minnesota Vikings.
Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyle Sloter believes in the eye test and has taken issue with the organization’s analytics-driven general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
In Purple Insider’s Matthew Coller’s book, “Football Is a Numbers Game: Pro Football Focus and How a Data-Driven Approach Shook Up the Sport,” Adofo-Mensah was candid in sharing that he’s used PFF data to teach himself more about the game.
“I use Pro Football Focus to teach myself things that frankly, I didn’t know,” Adofo-Mensah told Coller. “PFF really allows somebody to go deep and study that for themselves.”
Sloter called out Adofo-Mensah’s statement, saying it’s a bad look for the Vikings general manager.
“If this is true, I can’t express how bad of a look this is. Stats and numbers can’t possibly tell you everything you need to know about a game that’s played with heart and passion,” Sloter wrote in a February 6 post on X (formerly Twitter). “My eyes can tell you who’s good better than a number can.”
Kyle Sloter’s Critique of Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is Short-Sighted
GettyKyle Sloter during a preseason game.
Sloter’s critique of Adofo-Mensah echoed a similar sentiment from fans who, looking at Adofo-Mensah’s statement in a vacuum, believe his scouting is solely through PFF grades.
But in reality, all 32 NFL teams use PFF for various reasons. It’s another tool at a team’s disposal — and Adofo-Mensah, a former commodities trader, is not afraid of a surplus of information.
After Adofo-Mensah’s first draft in 2022, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert noted the new construction of the Vikings organization, saying the Wilf family wanted a more “horizontal structure” after a conflict of control between Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman.
Adofo-Mensah acts as a mediator between scouting and analytics and aims to use both to influence decision-making.
“He’s so good about listening to everyone and creating consensus,” Vice President of player personnel Ryan Grigson told ESPN in 2022. “I’ve never seen anything like it. The broad scope of how many people and different avenues the information comes from … whether it’s data, an assistant coach, a scouting assistant. Everyone’s got a voice. And he’s for real with that. Everyone has been involved. That’s been awesome to see.”
Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s Next Draft Will Be in His Vision
GettyGeneral manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah of the Minnesota Vikings
That first draft was met with scrutiny with few players contributing through their first two years in the league.
However, Adofo-Mensah’s first draft was done on the fly after he joined the organization in February. The Vikings opted to keep Spielman’s scouting department in place for that year given the amount of work they had already done on the 2022 draft class. Ultimately, Adofo-Mensah does make the final call, but from an operations standpoint, he did not have his system in place yet.
Contrarily, last June, the Vikings added 10 new hires to the football operations and player personnel departments as Adofo-Mensah began to round out a staff of his own.
The 2023 rookie is already looking like a success with wide receiver Jordan Addison, cornerback Mekhi Blackmon and linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. offering immediate contributions.
This year’s draft could be defining to Adofo-Mensah’s tenure as he enters the penultimate year of his contract with the Vikings.
A strong draft class will give the Vikings roster a backbone to build upon as depth became an evident issue in 2023.