At Long Last, The Vikings’ Eye-Popping Trade Sees the Final Details Clear the Finish Line
Safe to say that the move up in the 2024 NFL Draft for edge rusher Dallas Turner was unexpected.
Sitting at No. 23, the Vikings’ eye-popping trade involved leaping up to No. 17 to draft the Alabama defender. The cost of doing business was steep, requiring Minnesota to part with No. 23 alongside a 5th in 2024 plus a 3rd and 4th from 2025. Now that the 2025 NFL Draft is in the books, there’s firm clarity about what the Jaguars did with the picks that originally belonged to Minnesota (shout out to the NFL’s website for the helpful pick tracker).
The Vikings’ Eye-Popping Trade:
The Details of the Dallas Turner Trade with JAX
Before going too far, consider the details that were already clear to see.
First up, the very obvious reality of Minnesota snagging a long-and-strong pass rusher with upside aplenty: Mr. Dallas Turner. True, the rookie season for Turner didn’t involve an early ascent up the depth chart, but he showed enough promise to inspire belief that he’ll become an excellent player, maybe even as early as 2025.
Meanwhile, Jacksonville snagged a pair of players from the 2024 NFL Draft with the Vikings’ picks that got sent over: No. 23 and No. 167. The higher pick went toward receiver Brian Thomas while the later pick went toward running back Keilan Robinson.
Thomas’ rookie season showed ample promise. The pass catcher turned 87 catches into 1,282 yards for 10 touchdowns. Already, the young guy is putting up WR1 numbers. Robinson’s rookie season was more modest, jumping into six games. The runner was involved in 5 snaps on offense and 51 on specials. Room to improve.
As for the 2025 picks — the aforementioned 3rd and 4th — Jacksonville was working with No. 88 (the 3rd) alongside No. 126 (the 4th).
The Jaguars used the No. 88 selection on corner Caleb Ransaw, someone who was coming in at No. 221 on PFF’s board. By at least some estimations, then, the Ransaw selection was a reach, but that remains to be seen. After all, Danielle Hunter was once the No. 88 pick (back in 2015) and the edge rusher ended up doing alright for himself (translation: he developed into an elite edge rusher).
The No. 126 pick ended up being traded by Jacksonville to Cleveland. The Browns then used the selection on running back Dylan Sampson, someone who put up sizzling numbers for Tennessee last season. The runner turned 258 carries into 1,491 yards (5.8 YPC average) and a huge 22 touchdowns.
So, in a bizarro world where the Vikings kept those picks and drafted the same players, there could have been further reinforcements to the secondary and the offense’s rushing attack. Indeed, the simplest way of understanding the haul could look like this:
The Vikings Acquired:
- EDGE Dallas Turner
The Vikings Forfeited the Opportunity to Draft:
- WR Brian Thomas
- RB Keilan Robinson
- CB Caleb Ransaw
- RB Dylan Sampson
A more sophisticated analysis would consider who was on the board in those specific draft slots that were traded away, seeking to clarify the best fits for the Vikings. A future piece, perhaps.
The Vikings pulled five players out of the 2025 NFL Draft. In a sense, though, the five picks turned into six players insofar as a trade down resulted in snagging QB Sam Howell (as the prophecy foretold).
Hovering behind the current draft haul is the deal that brought in Dallas Turner. Seeing the 22-year-old defender fulfill his potential by turning into a true EDGE1 will mean that the Vikings can walk away satisfied with how the pricey trade worked out.
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 and Bluesky (@VikingsGazette). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.