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The Minnesota Vikings are always an interesting team to watch when the draft rolls around. New general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah continued a long-standing Minnesota tradition of trading down and acquiring plenty of extra draft capital. With so many draft picks coming into the building, one of them is bound to make an unexpectedly large impact. Linebacker Brian Asamoah is the prime candidate to overachieve in his rookie year for a multitude of reasons.
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Vikings Rookie Sleeper for 2022 NFL Season
Brian Asamoah
The Vikings selected Asamoah with their second pick of the third round. He should not have fallen that far. The former Oklahoma Sooners LB had an outstanding college career, racking up 80 tackles, a sack, and two forced fumbles in his junior season. He has NFL-caliber speed, a factor that will help him to transition smoothly to the league. Asamoah was also one of the best coverage linebackers in his class, a necessity in the age of pass-happy offenses. All of his physical traits are there, and they should allow him to make an immediate impact in Minnesota.
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There is a clear path to playing time for Asamoah, even as a third-round pick. The Vikings currently have Eric Kendricks and Jordan Hicks at the top of the depth chart at linebacker, but that's not a problem. Minnesota plays a fair amount of snaps with three linebackers on the field. Asamoah's coverage ability should ensure he's the next option. It helps that the rest of the backup options are uninspiring at best.
Minnesota relied on Nick Vigil as a backup in 2021, but he's with the Arizona Cardinals now. Blake Lynch played a fair amount of snaps last season, but he was not very productive. Troy Dye has been given multiple opportunities to prove himself, and none of them have shown much. Because of the lack of depth, Asamoah will be expected to fill in in the event of an injury, so he should see the field quite a bit.
It helps that Minnesota has a great track record of developing linebackers. Eric Kendricks was selected in the middle of the second round by the Vikings with a very similar profile to Asamoah. Both were regarded as slightly undersized guys who were impactful in coverage. Kendricks started 11 games as a rookie, and he quickly developed into one of the most underrated defenders in the league. When the Vikings drafted Anthony Barr, he was regarded as a great prospect who needed a fair amount of technical improvement. Minnesota turned Barr into a four-time Pro Bowler and a key part of an elite defense. The Vikings were one of the better landing spots for Asamoah. He should be able to improve his game at a rapid pace in Minnesota.
