Vikings Mock: Trading Each of the Vikings’ First 3 Draft Picks
K. Joudry
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If there is no trading from the fine folks at TCO Performance Center, then the Vikings will pick players at No. 11, No. 23, and No. 108.
Let’s assume, for the sake of argument, that the opposite happens. If Minnesota ships out that trio of picks — each in its own separate swap — what could the end result be? A Vikings mock seeks to help with answering that question by considering one possibility.
Vikings Mock: 3 Picks, 3 Trades, and a Possible Path
Before getting too far ahead of ourselves, a quick word: the PFF simulator is what allowed us to pull off the mock. So, a shout out to PFF.
The Vikings used No. 11 as the key piece in a trade with the Titans, the team that owns No. 7. Somehow, Jayden Daniels was tumbling down the board. Minnesota picked up the phone and offered No. 11, No. 129, and a 2025 3rd (in real life, the cost may need to be the 2025 1st). The trade was accepted, so Daniels is now Minnesota’s QB1. Or, at least, he would take on that title before long.
Instead of jumping up, the strategy with No. 23 was to sit back and let the trades come to me. The approach didn’t disappoint.
I had the luxury of sifting through a whopping eight trade offers, but Buffalo’s was appealing since it began with No. 28 coming back. Forfeiting the five spots involved picking up a pair of picks for later on: No. 128 and No. 133.
At No. 28, the Vikings decided to give Mr. Flores his wish by adding another corner. Nate Wiggins is the newest Vikings defender. Josh Frey thinks that the Clemson DB is an excellent prospect, so landing him in the late-1st looks like a good move.
Next up was the trade involving No. 108.
San Francisco was sitting at No. 94, so Minnesota decided to give Adofo-Mensah’s former employer a call. Catapulting themselves from the early 4th to the late 3rd involved including No. 133, the recent acquisition from the Buffalo deal.
And at No. 94, the Vikings broke the shutout by choosing edge rusher Bralen Trice. Snagging an edge rusher would be a first for the Vikings’ GM and yet it looks like a good possibility given the need for more depth at the position. Trice snagged 7 sacks and 11.5 TFLs last year with Washington.
A recap:
- No. 7: QB Jayden Daniels
- No. 28: CB Nate Wiggins
- No. 94: EDGE Bralen Trice
Truth be told, the most unlikely part of the mock involves Daniels sliding to No. 7. If he did somehow tumble down the board, then the move up to go get him would cost way more than just a future 3rd and a 4th.
But with the trade cost caveat out of the way, the possibility does exist that Minnesota navigates the board in a similar manner to the mock. Maybe they don’t drain the cupboard for a top-3 passer, instead paying a more modest price to climb into the end of the top-10 or even staying at No. 11. And then from there it’s possible the Vikings make a pick in the 20s (either at No. 23 or by shuffling around) before then moving up into the 3rd.
Thankfully, we’ll soon get a firm answer to end all of the speculation. The 2024 NFL Draft takes flight on Thursday, April 25th.
Editor’s Note: Information from Sports Reference CFB helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.