Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stole a player late in the 2024 NFL Draft who is now proving he can be a future starter for the Vikings

This is why Garrett Bradbury was the center for so long. He could climb to the second level easily and get a helmet on the second level. Jurgens has the athleticism to climb to the second level, and the technical prowess to aim properly. That's something that the likes of Ed Ingram and Dalton Risner struggled with last season. It doesn't matter if you can get to the second level if you don't block your man once you get there.

It's not just the athletic profile that is more than capable, but his raw power in the running game is impressive.

This is from the first play of the game against T.J. Slaton who is a beefy nose tackle. He gets out front with a scoop block and gets a lot of push on him. That's not the only play on Sunday he got a lot of push either. He drove another nose tackle B.J. Hill off the ball like crazy.

It's just a simple duo block from Jurgens and right guard Will Fries, but it's a critical one in the Vikings' offense. He is the engine behind him getting driven back off the line of scrimmage, giving running back Jordan Mason a path to gain substantial yardage.

Run blocking is easier to get down coming into the NFL, as it's mainly about power and being the aggressor. Pass protection is a little more technique and reactionary, and Jurgens has proved that he's capable enough in both. There is enough positive in his 47 snaps to continue building upon it moving forward.

Now, this is just an 84 snap sample size over two games. It's nowhere near enough to be certain about anything. However, Ryan Kelly's contract is setup with the idea that Jurgens could take over as the starter. Right now, Kelly's contract has a cap hit of just under $5.6 million, but they can save $12.1 million by moving on from him.

If they believe that Jurgens can become the next Matt Birk or John Sullivan, saving $12.1 million on the salary cap while paying Jurgens the salary of a seventh-round pick is a very appealing option, especially with being a projected $52.7 million over the salary cap before any rollover money. It would be a risk, as Jurgens has a limited sample size. However, it's a good problem to have with a young player who is emerging as a seventh-round pick.

This could be the shift in the discussion about Adofo-Mensah as a general manager, and it could be huge for making a Super Bowl run.

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