How the Khalil Mack Trade Affects the Vikings

How the Khalil Mack Trade Affects the Vikings
Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports

On Thursday, the Chicago Bears traded Khalil Mack [and his contract sans dead cap money] to the Los Angeles Chargers for a 2nd-Round and 6th-Round pick. Mack will pair with EDGE rusher Joey Bosa in Los Angeles, hoping to slow down the newly-formed Mahomes-Wilson-Carr sandwich in the AFC West.

The Minnesota Vikings, too, have an EDGE rusher who could be on the move — if new Vikings management doesn’t want to invest in a player who is suddenly injury-prone. That is Danielle Hunter, a 27-year-old defensive end drafted from the 3rd Round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

Hunter’s contract isn’t a large hurdle for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as the defender can “easily” return per the dollars if Minnesota sees fit. However, Hunter has played in just 21% of football games since the start of 2020, so the Vikings must decide if that trend is too foreboding the future.

Danielle Hunter
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Mack played in the same division as the Vikings for four seasons, now trying life back in the AFC West. His trade value level set the market for players like Hunter. According to the 2022 offseason way of doing things, Mack was the shots-fired price for EDGE rushers.

So, when the Mack trade news hit, some folks speculated there was “no way” the Vikings would receive a 1st-Round pick for Hunter, a trade amount often theorized by Vikings fans eager for change.

While Hunter won’t command a Top 10 overall pick, he has something Mack does not — age.

Hunter is 27. Mack is 31.

In the grand scheme of life, that isn’t much. But for football-speak, those four years are the absolute prime of an EDGE rusher’s career. Plain and simple.

Indeed, Mack’s value more clearly defines the market. Yet, Hunter could still command a late-1st-Round pick simply because he’s younger. The trade-seeking team would need to believe Hunter’s injury woes are behind him — that’s a big assumption for a team to make — and then, yes, sending a low-1st for Hunter adds up.

Otherwise, Hunter should be worth a 2nd-Rounder and perhaps a 4th or 5th-Rouner. The moral of the story: his trade value, due to age, should be at least a smidgen higher than Mack’s.

Mack has the reputation, as his early-career rise to power was magnificent. For some reason, Hunter flies a little lower under the radar.

But Chicago’s deal for Mack was advantageous for the Vikings. It gets Mack the hell out of the NFC North. Plus, it illuminates Hunter’s trade stock, which should be a wee bit higher than Mack’s because of the four years age variance.

Next up? Sit back and watch if Hunter survives the changes upcoming for the Vikings.

Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. His YouTube Channel, VikesNow, debuts in March 2022. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).


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