The basic truth of the Minnesota Vikings' offseason has been well-covered. With an interim general manager running the team, they are building their 2026 roster under circumstances that are unparalleled in modern NFL history.
Why did owners Zygi and Mark Wilf elevate longtime executive Rob Brzezinski to an interim GM role rather than immediately replace Kwesi Adofo-Mensah with a permanent GM after firing him on Jan. 30? The late timing of the dismissal helps explain their decision; the free agent market was set to begin in 40 days and the NFL draft 43 days after that.
For the most part, however, the Wilfs wanted to delay the disruption of a general manager search until after the draft. They had watched Adofo-Mensah's first draft in 2022 flop -- Adofo-Mensah later regretted the approach he took -- and hoped Brzezinski's experience could make the most of a difficult situation.
Was it the right call? The Vikings are now less than a week away from finding out.
In interviews this offseason, Brzezinski has stressed simple but proven tenets of conducting a draft. He has not promised any flashy solutions or new ideas. He has not campaigned for the permanent job, nor has he said -- publicly or privately -- whether he wants it.
Based on those interviews and other conversations during the past three months, here's what we can say about how Brzezinski will oversee a draft that will conclude on April 25 and then transition almost immediately into what Wilf has said will be a "thorough" search for a permanent general manager.
Brzezinski has the final say
While coach Kevin O'Connell has significant influence over the team's direction, Brzezinski has been the Vikings' decision-maker since Jan. 30. That will continue in the draft, where he will work to build consensus and break any ties when necessary.
Here's how Brzezinski put it in February: "We have to have protocol in place, and so the owners have asked me to handle that responsibility if that would occur. But our intent is to have complete and total collaboration ... and I think the decisions are going to be pretty easy to make."
In his previous role as executive vice president of football operations, Brzezinski was the team's point person on draft day trade discussions. As he works from a more global position this year, Brzezinski said three other staff members will handle the majority of trade calls. They include Matt Thomas, a veteran of NFL front offices who came out of retirement to join the Vikings on a short-term basis this spring, senior manager of football administration Emily Badis and director of player personnel Ryan Monnens.
Director of college scouting Mike Sholiton, who is entering his 23rd season with the team, led the Vikings' draft meetings.
A largely conventional view
Brzezinski made a point to say that he sat in on every type of draft meeting, and obviously every draft, since joining the Vikings in 1999. An NFC executive noted earlier this spring that it's highly unlikely the Vikings will be unprepared for a surprising twist during the draft process. "He's seen it all," the executive said.
As a contract negotiator, he earned notice early in his career for aggressive offers designed that gave the Vikings a competitive advantage in negotiations. Most notable among them was his "poison pill" offer to guard Steve Hutchinson in 2005.
He was also a top administrator of the 2003 draft, when a demand from former owner Red McCombs to trade down contributed to the Vikings missing their pick at No. 7. (They still managed to select defensive tackle Kevin Williams -- their target all along -- at No. 9.)
Team-building, Brzezinski said, "has always been a passion of mine." This spring, he has talked about the draft as largely an adventure in avoiding mistakes.
"We're not going to try to manufacture anything that's not there," he said. "The key is just getting [prospects] stacked and getting them stacked objectively. And we're obviously going to do everything we can to fill our needs when we're on the clock, but our goal is to get the board set objectively so we really see where the talent is and then kind of let it fall to us."
In an era when many front offices have tried to pivot away from traditional tools, Brzezinski acknowledged he has studied and tested various models for determining the value of each draft slot. But he remains a believer in the model popularized 30 years ago by former NFL coach Jimmy Johnson, calling it a "rock solid" resource that has "kind of stood the test of time."
"I have certain beliefs based on my history and things that I've seen," he said, "but trying to keep an open mind and continue to grow and make sure that we have the best process."
Coaches retain key roles
O'Connell, defensive coordinator Brian Flores, receivers coach Keenan McCardell and other members of the coaching staff began asserting themselves in the draft process following the 2022 fiasco. Their influence has continued this spring, based on all available evidence.
O'Connell was a big proponent of receiver Jordan Addison in 2023. Flores pushed hard for cornerback Khyree Jackson, who was killed in a car accident shortly before training camp in 2024. McCardell, meanwhile, evaluated and endorsed receiver Tai Felton in 2025. (McCardell had also played a key role in drafting Jalen Nailor, who departed this spring via free agency, in 2022.)
In 2024, O'Connell described his role in the draft process following the 2022 draft.
"I look back on that," he said, "and just say to myself, 'What could I have done better in the moment to help communicate what I thought was the best possible outcome out of that?'"