In Hindsight, A Vikings Trade Now Looks Pretty Questionable
At the time, the Vikings trade appeared to be good value.
Minnesota moved pick No. 87 to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for No. 102, No. 164, and No. 222. The 49ers picked up safety Ji’Ayir Brown. The Vikings snagged corner Mekhi Blackmon, quarterback Jaren Hall, and then running back DeWayne McBride. How are things shaping up for those players?
A Vikings Trade is Aging Poorly
Things are going to come down to Mr. Blackmon. The issue, of course, is simply that we’re playing a game of wait-and-see with the corner.
He tore his ACL early in training camp, ending his season before it began. The upside is simply that he had a promising rookie season and plays a premium position. In 2025, Blackmon will be operating within his third season in the NFL and will be pushing for a starting position along the outside. If he lives up to his potential, then the trade won’t look too bad. Getting a CB2/3 at the end of the 3rd Round is nice work.
The downside, though, is simply that neither of Hall nor McBride are around anymore. Even worse, neither are even on the practice squad.
Jaren Hall was subtracted back in late August, a somewhat controversial decision insofar as the move coincided with adding Brett Rypien. Hall is a sophomore 5th-Round selection who put together a strong preseason and who offers brains, athleticism, and leadership. Yes, there are limitations to his arm talent and he’s already 26, but the possibility was present that he could develop into a QB2.
Rypien may replicate a lot of those traits — and, to be sure, he could be a better QB3 right now — but the upside appears to be limited. The 28-year-old passer has played in ten games while starting four. In that time, Rypien has completed 58.3% of his passes for 950 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions.
He has spent time with the Broncos, Rams, Seahawks, Jets, and Bears, so it seems likely that he has accumulated a bit more NFL wisdom than the younger Hall, for whatever that’s worth.
The basic fact, though, is that Hall was a draft pick from that 2023 class who isn’t around anymore. Seeing as how he was picked as a result of the trade back with the 49ers, it’s fair to circle back around to that trade in its entirety to begin to assess whether it was one that worked out. After all, two-thirds of the players — Hall at 164 and McBride at 222 — aren’t calling Minnesota home anymore.
If you’re tuning into a 49ers game, keep an eye in Ji’Ayir Brown, the 24-year-old starting safety who is up to 33 tackles in 2024. He got acquired with a pick that originally belonged to the Vikings.
Meanwhile, Minnesota (and its fans) will be looking for Mekhi Blackmon to get back to 100% and develop into a starter at corner.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference 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, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.