If the Vikings Could Steal One Player from Each NFC North Team
Yes, the offseason. A wonderful time to speculate about completely unrealistic and unachievable fantasies alike. Us Vikings fans tell ourselves every offseason that this year could be the year, knowing deep down that we’re completely out of touch with reality, but that it’s fine because it helps us sleep at night and get through what feels like an eternal pause in action, especially the months of May through August.
I pondered the other day, and not the quarterback the Vikings reached massively for in the 2011 NFL Draft; if I could steal one player from each of the Vikings’ NFC North rivals and place them on the current iteration of the Minnesotan football club without worrying about the money involved, who would they be, and why?
Detroit Lions: RB Jahmyr Gibbs
Jahmyr Gibbs is absolute dynamite and is complemented perfectly by both the Lions’ offensive scheme and his fellow running mate, David Montgomery. He’s given the entire league headaches already in his short, two-year-long career, and if the Vikings could magically put him on the roster, he would immediately become RB1, demoting both Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, as well as likely putting Ty Chandler out of a job.
I considered S Brian Branch and EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, seeing as Branch could be an electric pawn for Brian Flores’ masterful defense, and Aidan Hutchinson could be added to an already-stacked edge room. I personally believe that you can never have enough edge rushers in the modern NFL, and I’m sure that Brian Flores, out of all people, probably agrees with me there.
Green Bay Packers: S Xavier McKinney
I loved Xavier McKinney in the 2020 NFL Draft, as the Vikings passed on him twice (once for Justin Jefferson, the second time for the late Jeff Gladney) and he fell to the second round of the event to the New York Giants. I’ve always loved his game, even going back to his time with the Alabama Crimson Tide during his collegiate career, and was sickened to hear of his signing with the Green Bay Packers before the 2024 NFL season.
Some other options I considered here were the Packers’ newly signed CB Nate Hobbs, seeing as the Vikings had interest in him, had things gone south with Byron Murphy Jr. anyway. I’ve also, for whatever reason, always liked Christian Watson, even though I shouldn’t. He would bring a big-body receiver that the Vikings have been lacking, but he kinda just isn’t good. If I did this a couple of weeks ago, the real choice probably would’ve been CB Jaire Alexander.
Chicago Bears: CB Jaylon Johnson
Though my selfish desires and the voices in my head almost won and had me take former Virginia Tech Hokie MLB Tremaine Edmunds, I went the way of logic and chose CB Jaylon Johnson, admittedly and unfortunately, one of the best corners in the business. Johnson finished top 30 in the NFL among all cornerbacks in PFF overall grade (76.2), run defense grade (79.9), and coverage grade (74.2) in 2024.
Along with Edmunds, I also took some WRs into consideration; I love all of D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, and Luther Burden III, but there is such a thing as too many cooks in the kitchen at receiver, and the Vikings are just about at capacity of upper-percentile pass-catchers.
I’d also be lying if there wasn’t a small part of me that wanted to say QB Caleb Williams just to make people mad. In my defense, that’s what he wants!
Vikings Completely Disrespected in Defensive Line Rankings
