The 3 Vikings Trade Candidates to Watch
The Vikings trade candidates aren’t at the forefront of many people’s minds. After all, there’s still much that remains to be determined as it relates to the status of DC Brian Flores, who gets added to help at quarterback, and the coaching staff more broadly.
Rest assured, though, that some swaps are likely to occur. After all, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has repeatedly proven to be someone who is interested in chasing value on the NFL’s trade market. As a result, one wonders about who could get shipped out from Minnesota’s roster.
3 Vikings Trade Candidates
Trade Candidate No. 1 — Linebacker Ivan Pace Jr.
No matter how things proceed, Ivan Pace Jr. is a major success for Minnesota.
He got scooped up as an undrafted free agent, almost instantly generating optimism. The key thing that makes Mr. Pace unique is that he fully lived up to (surpassed?) the wildest hopes. Since becoming a Viking, Pace has played in 45 NFL games, starting 27. That’s 45 more games — and, crucially, 27 more starts — than the majority of UDFA adds.
He has 236 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and 2 interceptions within his career.
In all likelihood, the linebacker is going to be too pricey to keep. Minnesota has a pile of cap debt to sort through, so retaining someone who deserves a raise is difficult, especially with the flaws in his game. Getting a Day 3 pick would be a good return.
Trade Candidate No. 2 — Offensive Tackle Walter Rouse
Offensive tackle Walter Rouse is coming off a disappointing sophomore season.
The lineman stands at 6’6″ and weighs 330 pounds, meaning he’s unusually large for Minnesota’s roster. Drafting him in the 6th means that the hope is that he’ll one day develop into a strong swing tackle, an OT3 who could slot into the left tackle or right tackle job when injury inevitably creates a need.
So far, Mr. Rouse is far from seeing that become a reality. He barely dressed in the final half of 2025 despite Minnesota having a clear need for greater OT depth.
In the past, Adofo-Mensah traded away o-linemen who didn’t pan out as a Viking. The team added Vederian Lowe in the 6th of the 2022 NFL Draft. Lowe then got traded away for a 6th, offsetting the cost to get him in the first place. Likewise, Ed Ingram — chosen in the 2nd in 2022 — got traded away for a 6th.
Is that fate awaiting Walter Rouse?
Trade Candidate No. 3 — Wide Receiver Jordan Addison
On the field, Jordan Addison doesn’t offer many concerns. Issues do arise, however, off the field.
In fact, there have been several infractions. There have been a pair of driving problems alongside a recent arrest for trespassing. So, too, did he get benched in 2025 due to a practice-related problem (missing a walk through). At what point does Minnesota’s patience run out?
Best guess is that Mr. Addison remains. The Vikings’ leadership appears to like him on a personal level while maintaining huge optimism about where he’s going on a professional level. Bringing those two things into harmony — put differently, no longer getting into trouble off the field so that he can shine on the field — is what Minnesota is up against.
Getting a 1st for Addison isn’t happening. He is yet to clear 1,000 yards (in no small part due to QB turmoil) and has the various off-field concerns. Plus, he’s moving into his fourth season, meaning Jordan Addison is soon to arrive at a time when he’s no longer a discount on the cap. What happens, though, if a team offers a 2nd?
Good chance, folks, that teams will be calling about Minnesota’s WR2.
