Weeks before Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was set to make his initial draft pick on Thursday, he heeded advice from previous teams that turned him down for their GM openings.
During past interviews, Adofo-Mensah, the NFL's first general manager from a purely analytical background, said he was told he needed to drop the spreadsheets for a minute and hit the road. Gain traditional scouting experience. Driven by a stated desire to lead this Vikings front office empathetically, he did so this spring. Adofo-Mensah put himself in the scout's shoes by visiting a West Coast university, presumably for a pro day, as part of his preparation for this week's NFL Draft.