Trading Back From 12th Could be Enormously Beneficial
K. Joudry
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Not too long ago, I took a bit of time to consider last year’s 12th overall pick. It wasn’t an analysis of the player who was chosen there – the soon-to-be Defensive ROY Micah Parsons – but, rather, what happened with the pick itself. The pick belonged to three teams before it settled on Dallas. I didn’t discuss trading back an awful lot, but it’s an option that may be appealing to the Vikings.
While doing some digging for that piece, I came across an interesting trade that I had forgotten about. Last season, Chicago had the 20th pick in the draft. The NY Giants had the 11th. Chicago desperately wanted to hop up to 11th in order to snag Justin Fields. It cost them two firsts, a fourth, and a fifth. The pick compensation was spread out over two years. Take a look:
| New York Giants Receive | Chicago Bears Receive |
| 20th Overall Pick (2021) | 11th Overall Pick (2021) |
| 164th Overall (2021) | |
| 7th Overall (2022) | |
| 103rd Overall (2022) |
As you can see, the Giants got an absolute ton in exchange for that coveted 11th spot. Why could they demand such a massive price? Because Chicago believed their next franchise QB wouldn’t fall to them. They were therefore willing to part with huge draft capital.
Minnesota has a lot of holes to fill and not a ton of money to do all the fixing. In other words, the draft will yet again be relied upon to offer a talent infusion at a low price. There’s some bad money that needs to be burned up, though the Vikings’ new GM will be able to create space in a variety of ways.
Adding a future first is an incredibly attractive option. Of course, there’s no guarantee someone is willing to pay that in exchange for the 12th spot. It’s worth noting, though, that there is some precedent. Part of what makes trading for a future first so enticing is the possibility of climbing high since teams often follow reasonably strong years with poor ones. In 2021, Chicago was picking 20th; in 2022, Chicago played their way into the 7th pick. The Giants did incredible in this trade.
Trading back may not be an option for the Vikings. Only time will tell. All I’m saying is that fans shouldn’t automatically discount the possibility. There’s some lingering frustration about Spielman’s proclivity for hoarding late-round picks, a frustration I can understand. Nevertheless, a deal like NY’s from last year would be too good to pass up.
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