Vikings Got a Strange Draft Trade Recommendation
The next big step in the offseason for the Minnesota Vikings will be free agency. The legal tampering window will open on March 10th, and players can officially sign two days later. On April 24th, meanwhile, the first round of the NFL draft will kick off, and Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah holds the 24th overall pick.
Vikings Got a Strange Draft Trade Recommendation
In that draft, Adofo-Mensah only has a couple of fifth-rounders next to that 24th pick, and he will likely get a third-round compensatory pick for Kirk Cousins’ departure.
Due to the lack of picks, trading down to secure a couple of extra draft choices is a popular draft prediction for the Vikings. However, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport included the franchise in his list of eight teams that should attempt to trade up.
“The Minnesota Vikings could be in a much different position where draft capital is concerned by the time we get to April. If the Vikes swing a trade involving either quarterback J.J. McCarthy or Sam Darnold, Minnesota could be much better positioned to move up in Round 1.”
A deal around J.J. McCarthy won’t happen. Kevin O’Connell has always been a big fan, and he is close to being full-go after recovering from his knee injury.
Sam Darnold, on the other hand, might be a potential trade chip. The Vikings would have to apply the franchise tag and negotiate a trade package that would notch some extra draft capital.
In that case, the Vikings still wouldn’t be in a position to trade up because the club needed to build some depth with younger players after also trading a bunch of picks away last year, and trading down would still be a more likely option.
Davenport envisions the team going after Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron.
Target: Texas CB Jahdae Barron
It would be great to list Travis Hunter of Colorado or Michigan’s Will Johnson here, but moving up that far from No. 24 would be cost-prohibitive unless Minnesota gets another first-rounder somehow. However, as Bleacher Report’s Cory Giddings wrote, Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron has the potential to both anchor a secondary and play all over it.
“His ability to play multiple positions, combined with his high football IQ, physicality, and ball skills, gives him a high ceiling in a variety of defensive schemes,” he said. “Barron’s toughness and adaptability give him a solid footing immediately and will allow him to develop into a key contributor at the next level. His versatility and competitive nature make him an attractive option for teams seeking flexibility in their defensive backfield.”
For the Vikings to build on last year’s surprise success, the team has to improve on the back end. A top-three corner in the draft class is worth a move up the board.
On the consensus big board from NFL Mock Draft Database, which uses mock drafts all around the media landscape to rank players, Barron is listed as the third cornerback in the draft. Ironically, he is the 26th overall prospect, so the Vikings might not even have to trade up to grab him.
Selecting a cornerback with the first draft pick is plausible, and so is drafting Barron. Trading up in any way, however, isn’t.
How the Vikings Can Put an Extra $25 Million into the 2025 Cap Space
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