10 Receivers the Vikings Could Trade For
On Wednesday morning, reporter Tom Pelissero introduced the Minnesota Vikings to the trade rumor mill when he posted, “With Jordan Addison suspended and multiple injuries, the #Vikings are seriously exploring veteran receivers in the trade market, per sources. All-Pro Justin Jefferson (hamstring) is on track for Week 1. His early-season running mate may not be on the roster.”
10 Receivers the Vikings Could Trade For
Rondale Moore suffered a season-ending injury, and a hand injury could cost Jalen Nailor some time. With no depth receiver showing enough promise, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah should call some other teams. Here are ten potential trade targets.
1. Kendrick Bourne
Bourne has been a solid player throughout his entire career, having decent stints with the 49ers and Patriots. After four years with the latter organization, it might be time to move, as the Patriots employ a plethora of receivers and have limited room on the 53-man roster.
He suffered a torn ACL in 2023 and missed the first few games of the 2024 campaign. Still, he delivered 28 catches for 305 yards in the subpar passing attack.
2. Kayshon Boutte
Another Patriot who’s in danger of ending up on the chopping block with Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, DeMario Douglas potentially starting, and rookies Kyle Williams and Efton Chism gaining steam. Sophomores Javon Baker and Ja’Lynn Polk are also in the mix.
The former sixth-rounder out of LSU barely saw the field in his rookie season, but he caught 43 passes for 589 yards in 2024. Justin Jefferson would surely enjoy another LSU alumnus in the building.
3. Romeo Doubs
Green Bay has a bunch of receivers, especially with Matthew Golden emerging as the team’s top target in training camp. Christian Watson will return from his knee injury at some point, while Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks also wear the green uniform. Doubs caused some headaches last season for disciplinary reasons, which could even increase the likelihood of a trade ahead of his contract season.
Let’s address the elephant in the room now: Would the Packers trade a receiver to their in-division rivals? Probably not, but it might be worth a call. Doubs racked up over 600 yards in each of the last two seasons and added 12 touchdowns to the scoreboard.
4. Elijah Moore
The Buffalo Bills don’t have a real top receiver on the roster, but they have various solid players, including Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel, Josh Palmer, and Elijah Moore. Samuel and Moore might be expendable, but Josh Allen has already formed a connection with Samuel last year, so let’s focus on Moore.
A former second-rounder of the New York Jets, Moore showed enormous promise early in his career. He then dropped off, but his worst season yardage-wise has been 446 yards. He’s primarily a slot receiver.
5. Skyy Moore
Skyy Moore, not related to Rondale or Elijah (who are also not related), has been with the Chiefs for three seasons, but the former second-rounder has not lived up to his draft status. He didn’t catch a pass last year and only suited up six times due to a core muscle injury.
In three years, Moore has registered only 494 receiving yards. However, he has punt return experience and could be a stopgap receiver for a few weeks. He might not be the flashiest player on the list, but he could be a fun reclamation project.
6. Trey Palmer
Tampa Bay’s Palmer is stuck on the depth chart behind the immortal receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. In the draft, the club also added Emeka Egbuka to be their understudy, and sophomore Jalen McMillan is still around, although he’s currently injured.
Palmer caught 51 passes in two years, but like Moore, he offers punt returning experience.
7. Alec Pierce
Pierce of the Indianapolis Colts was part of the 2022 draft class. The Colts picked him up in the second round. Since then, he has logged nearly 2,000 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns, including a career year of 824 yards and seven touchdowns in 2024.
So why would the Colts trade him? In addition to WR1 Michael Pittman Jr., the Colts employ productive slot receiver Josh Downs and Adonai Mitchell, who was drafted last year. Pierce is in the final year of his rookie contract, and his straight-line speed could be intriguing for Kevin O’Connell’s offense.
8. Adam Thielen
Of course, Mr. Thielen has to make the list after all the buzz around him in recent days. He’ll always be a franchise legend in Minnesota, so he’s welcome. From a football perspective, Thielen doesn’t share Pierce’s speed anymore, but he still has reliable hands and could catch some passes from McCarthy, with whom he worked out in the offseason.
The Panthers have star rookie Tetairoa McMillan and sophomores Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker, as well as Hunter Renfrow and rookie Jimmy Horn. That young group might require a mentor, but from a numbers perspective, Thielen might be available. It’s still unlikely, though.
9. Jordan Whittington
Whittington was a late-round pick of the Los Angeles Rams last year, but they have a strong top-three with Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, and Tutu Atwell. Last year’s preseason star ultimately caught 22 passes for 293 yards in his debut season, which isn’t a lot considering the injury struggles of that unit last year.
He was a solid kick returner for the Rams.
10. Roman Wilson
Wilson shares history with McCarthy, as he was his top target at Michigan. In their final year in college, Wilson caught 48 passes for 789 yards and 12 touchdowns. The connection got him drafted in the second round.
With the Steelers, however, Wilson hasn’t had the expected success, and he didn’t catch a single pass in his lone NFL season. He’s currently Pittsburgh’s fifth receiver. They might not be willing to give up yet, but if the Vikings feel like there’s potential, a reunion would probably be appreciated by the receiver and the quarterback.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.