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Vikings HC Admits Regret from Infamous 2022 NFL Draft The 2022 NFL Draft has become an infamous stain on the resume of a Minnesota Vikings organization that did not need any additional draft night spills, given some of the “opes” we’ve seen throughout its history. That April, in his first draft as MN Vikings general manager, the newly hired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made 10 total selections, none of which remain on the team today. Jalen Nailor (6th round) and Ty Chandler (5th round) lasted the longest. - 1st round (No. 32) – Lewis Cine (S) - 2nd round (No. 43) – Andrew Booth Jr (CB) - 2nd round (No. 59) – Ed Ingram (G) - 3rd round (No. 66) – Brian Asamoah (LB) - 4th round (No. 118) – Akayleb Evans (CB) - 5th round (No. 165) – Esezi Otomewo (DL) - 5th round (No. 169) – Ty Chandler (RB) - 6th round (No. 184) – Vederian Lowe (OT) - 6th round (No. 191) – Jalen Nailor (WR) - 7th round (No. 227) – Nick Muse (TE) The since-fired Adofo-Mensah splashed onto the draft scene on day one of the draft that year, in all the wrong ways. Minnesota went into that Thursday with the No. 12 overall selection. Minnesota Vikings still living with 2022 draft regret But right before they went on the clock, a trade was announced that sent the Vikings all the way down to No. 32 overall, where they drafted Georgia safety Lewis Cine — Kwesi’s first-ever draft pick. As you may remember, things with Cine didn’t exactly work out. While that entire MN Vikings draft class is ugly to look back on, it’s Adofo-Mensah’s decisions during the first round that haunted him the most. And not just because of the Cine pick. At the time, a lot of experts had them on Notre Dame safety, Kyle Hamilton, who went two picks later to the Baltimore Ravens. On paper, seemed like a perfect heir to Harrison Smith, had Minnesota selected him. Blessing your timeline with Kyle Hamilton highlights pic.twitter.com/b6zPMED88o — The Ravens Eye (@ObservingsS) July 30, 2026 Related: Kyler Murray Struggling at Vikings Joint Practices? Instead, by trading back to No. 32, the Vikings essentially decided that they were better off with Lewis Cine. Since that fateful day back in April, 2022, Cine has played himself out of the league, while Hamilton has made three pro bowls and three All-Pro teams (2x 1st team) in his four seasons. Kevin O’Connell definitely thinks about what could have been with Kyle Hamilton Unfortunately for Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, he was in the “war room” back in April 2022 while Kwesi was wheeling and dealing his way into big time trouble. And on Thursday, KOC was asked if he regrets that decision (even if he isn’t the one who makes it). Kevin O'Connell's answer on if they regret not drafting S Kyle Hamilton in 2022. — The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) August 20, 2026 "I have a time or two, yes." 👀 pic.twitter.com/RE6oVdqyNG Judd: “Do you ever look at [Kyle Hamilton] and think, “what if,” from the 2022 draft?” O’Connell: “I have a time or two, yes.” Judd: “Does he ever look at you and say, ‘why didn’t you draft me?'” First off, lets hat tip SKOR North reporter, Judd Zulgad, for asking the question that most others would not ask, especially as bluntly as he did. Sometimes… if you ask, you may just get the truth. In his first 64 NFL games, he’s become arguably the best safety in football, piling up 355 tackles, 8 sacks, 5 interceptions and 6 forced fumbles. Related: Is JJ McCarthy the Vikings’ Version of Rob Dillingham…? It’s possible the Vikings — had they stayed put, at No. 12 that draft — had a couple of different options they could have went with over what they did. The most obvious beyond Hamilton was WR Jameson Williams, who went to the Lions at No. 12 instead. But Kwesi decided against making the simplest move on the draft board that day, and decided to kick off one of the worst executive tenures in franchise history instead. And Kevin O’Connell is still here dealing with the regret. More About:Minnesota Vikings