Vikings Should Inquire about a Former Top-10 Pick
The Minnesota Vikings are 5-2, and the team could be willing to invest at the trade deadline to become a true contender. Of course, left tackle Cam Robinson has already been acquired to replace injured top blocker Christian Darrisaw, but Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could make another move in his third season as Minnesota’s general manager.
Vikings Should Inquire about a Former Top-10 Pick
The fans desire some more help on the defensive side of the ball, especially for the two weaknesses: the interior defensive line and the secondary at the cornerback spots.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores is working with a veteran trio of Byron Murphy, Stephon Gilmore, and Shaq Griffin. They played pretty well early in the season, but the last couple of games were shaky.
Adofo-Mensah could give the Carolina Panthers a call to bring 2021 eighth-overall pick Jaycee Horn to the Twin Cities. Cody Benjamin from CBS Sports suggested the deadline trade to bolster the secondary.
Minnesota general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has done an admirable job addressing holes while retaining premium draft capital so far, ensuring the Vikings’ surprisingly competitive team stays in the NFC North hunt. Horn would represent a bolder swing, likely requiring a higher pick or two, but the Carolina Panthers haven’t yet locked up their former first-rounder, and his long-term upside would be welcome in an aging, struggling Vikings cornerback room.
Horn is in the final year of his initial rookie contract, but the Panthers have picked up his fifth-year option. He is under team control for the remainder of the 2024 season and the entire 2025 campaign. Horn would be the unquestioned top cornerback entering the offseason, with Griffin, Gilmore, and Murphy all scheduled to hit free agency, which could give the Vikings much more flexibility to spend the limited resources at other positions.
His cap hit would easily fit under the salary cap after the reports confirmed that the Jaguars will pay a significant portion of the newly acquired Robinson’s salary.
Playing in his fourth season, Horn has only appeared in 30 career games (all starts) so far. A foot fracture in 2021 and a hamstring strain in 2023 cost him the majority of those seasons. So far, Horn has stayed healthy in 2024, and he surely is one of the very few bright spots of the franchise. Pro Football Focus has graded him as the 28th of 110 eligible cornerbacks. In 2022, when he played 13 games, he ranked 29th.
Bringing Horn to Minnesota would require some significant draft capital. That only makes sense if the cornerback is intended to be a fundamental part of the organization for years to come.
Just two years ago, the Vikings traded for a player who they envisioned could be a long-term player for them. T.J. Hockenson improved the team in 2022 and has since signed a massive contract extension to help the team in the future as well.
Long-term or not, the result of the upcoming matchup against the Indianapolis Colts likely impacts how much (or if at all) the Vikings are willing to spend prior to Tuesday’s trade deadline.
Horn will turn 25 in November and has the talent to be an upgrade this season, as well as becoming the team’s CB1 next season. Inquiring about Horn’s availability makes sense.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt