QBs and more: 3 biggest takeaways from Vikings' pre-draft news conference

When an NFL general manager and head coach talk to the media in the midst of free agency and with two weeks to go before the draft, it can be hard to discern what's truth-telling, what's truth-avoiding and what is just plain posturing.

But three themes emerged from Thursday's session with Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O'Connell, as we talked about on the Access Vikings podcast this week:

1. Za'Darius Smith and Dalvin Cook are here — until they aren't. The Vikings signed Marcus Davenport and re-signed Alexander Mattison this offseason, seemingly indicating they were moving on from Smith and Cook.

But both players are still on the roster — and have guaranteed money on their contracts — as the Vikings prepare to begin their voluntary offseason program Monday. What gives?

Well, nothing is certain but both O'Connell and Adofo-Mensah seemed non-committal (at best) toward both players Thursday. The biggest tell was when Adofo-Mensah said Cook and Mattison could share the backfield again "in theory."

In reality, the Vikings could trade one or both players by or on draft night as they try to add picks.

2. In lieu of having a lot of picks this season, the Vikings are leaning on progress from their 2022 class. The Vikings could add more draft capital than the five picks (just one before pick 87) they currently have, either by an aforementioned deal for an existing player or by trading down from No. 23.

But they seem to be leaning heavily on the idea that using picks wisely this season combined with progression from young defensive players who were used sparingly last season — Lewis Cine, Akayleb Evans, Andrew Booth and Brian Asamoah — will offset any deficits in quantity this season.

3. O'Connell will have a significant voice as the team's quarterback situation evolves. I had a light bulb moment when listening to O'Connell talk about QB evaluation and translating college tape to the NFL game.

"Playing the position, you have to have things and traits you look for — the things you think can carry over," O'Connell said. "Things like accuracy. Things like toughness. Things like having the ability to process and see the whole field, to read with your feet and eyes."

He went on to talk about more subtle things quarterbacks do that can help with evaluation and added that he's scouted QBs heavily every year he's been in the NFL.

The upshot: At whatever point the Vikings make a shift away from Kirk Cousins, which could be as soon as 2024, O'Connell will be a stakeholder in a way that previous defensive-minded Vikings head coaches (Mike Zimmer and Leslie Frazier, both of whom were in charge when the Vikings took QBs in the first round) just weren't.