Another Vikings Star Gets Put into Draft Trade Rumor
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings are in the heat of a number of different trade rumors with the 2024 NFL Draft just a week and a half away.
With Kirk Cousins leaving the team back in March, Minnesota is widely expected to make a move up the draft board for a quarterback. However, the ultimate trade package that the Vikings will be willing to create remains to be seen. Some have suggested that Minnesota could package a number of first-round picks together in order to trade up while others have thrown Vikings star receiver Justin Jefferson into the mix.
Over the weekend, another Vikings star was thrown into trade rumors by former general manager Rick Spielman. That player is left tackle Christian Darrisaw.
Another Vikings Star Enters Trade Rumors
Mike Reiss, an ESPN analyst who covers the New England Patriots, put together an article over the weekend detailing what it could take for New England to trade the third overall pick this spring and included a little tidbit from Spielman.
“The ‘pipe dream’ for the Patriots, per Spielman, would be the Vikings trading receiver Justin Jefferson as part of a package that includes multiple first-round picks. Or maybe starting left tackle Christian Darrisaw,” Reiss wrote on Sunday.
Of course, if the Vikings were to trade up to the third overall pick, it would give them a great opportunity to land a very talented quarterback. The assumption is that Caleb Williams will be selected first overall by the Chicago Bears, but that would leave Minnesota with at least two of Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, or J.J. McCarthy to choose from at No. 3.
It will certainly take a great deal of capital for New England to move off that selection, though, particularly to move all the way outside of the top 10. The Patriots have a plethora of needs at the moment, and they very reasonably could decide to just take a quarterback themselves after trading Mac Jones to the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier this spring.
There is reason to believe that the Patriots would demand at least one player in return along with a heavy price tag in terms of draft capital. Think back to the Broncos’ trade in order to acquire Russell Wilson. Not only did they have to send the Seattle Seahawks multiple first-round picks, but they also traded QB Drew Lock, TE Noah Fant, and DE Shelby Harris.
More recently, the Carolina Panthers were forced to send WR D.J. Moore along with two firsts and two seconds in order to acquire the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft from the Chicago Bears.
Ultimately, if either Darrisaw or Jefferson become a requirement from New England, it may be best for Minnesota to simply move on and find a new trade partner, or simply abandon the “trade up” plan altogether.
Both of Minnesota’s left tackle and wide receiver should be major parts of the rebuilding plan around a new quarterback rather than bargaining chips.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.