Teams to Watch for Vikings Draft Trade
Janik Eckardt
|
The first round of the NFL Draft takes place on April 28th, where the Vikings hold the 12th overall pick. Various reports suggest a possible trade. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could either gain more draft capital if he trades down or selects a specific player after trading up. Both scenarios are possible and can not be ruled out. But which teams could be interested in a trade with the Vikings?
Trading Down
New Orleans Saints
The Saints may want to trade up to select a quarterback. That player would be the successor to Drew Brees as their franchise quarterback. Jameis Winston is on the roster and signed a new contract but is recovering from a torn ACL, while it is still a question mark if Taysom Hill can successfully play quarterback in the NFL.
They acquired an additional first-round pick from the Eagles and can use one, or maybe even both picks to move up. Potential targets are Malik Willis, who has the highest ceiling of the quarterbacks in the draft with incredible physical tools, Kenny Pickett, who is the most pro-ready passer in the draft, and Matt Corral, who is the most accurate thrower of the football, which reminds of the long-time Saints star quarterback, Drew Brees.
If Kwesi Adofo-Mensah does indeed trade with the Saints, the first Vikings selection will occur at the 16th or 19th spot.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers need a quarterback, just like the Saints. After their long-term quarterback Ben Roethlisberger retired, they signed Mitchell Trubisky in free agency. In his first five seasons in the NFL, he did not show that he could be the answer at the most important position for a team. It has to be questioned if the Bears put him in a great position to succeed and if he learned something in Buffalo in 2021, but it wouldn’t be surprising to anyone if the Steelers selected a new quarterback in the draft. The Vikings would pick at the 20th position in the draft.
Green Bay Packers
It doesn’t often happen that divisional rivals are involved in a trade. The last draft-day trade between Minnesota and the Wisconsin franchise happened in 2008 when the Vikings traded up to select USC quarterback John David Booty in the fifth round. Just last year, a trade between divisional foes was finalized in the first round. The Eagles traded up with the Cowboys to select Devonta Smith, while the Cowboys ended up with one of the best defenders in the league, Micah Parsons.
The Packers are in desperate need of a wide receiver. Their top receivers on the roster are Sammy Watkins and Allen Lazard. A situation that can not be acceptable for MVP Aaron Rodgers.
They own two first-round picks, 22 and 28. Certainly, GM Brian Gutekunst doesn’t want to pick the leftovers at a position of need and therefore has to trade up to select one of the top prospects like Drake London, Jameson Williams, and Garrett Wilson. In addition to two first-round picks, the Packers own two second-round picks — perfect conditions to orchestrate a draft-day trade.
Dallas Cowboys
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones always tries to make a big splash. Today rumors surfaced that the Cowboys, who own the 24th pick, want to trade up into the top-14 in the draft. The Vikings’ 12th pick makes sense. The Cowboys have at least one pick in each of the first six rounds, so they can certainly put together a nice package for the Vikings.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs have similar problems as the Packers. Both have traded their star receivers away, and both have two late first-round picks. The Chiefs have the 29th and 30th selection. There might even be a scenario where Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could get both of those picks for the Vikings’ first-round selection. In addition to that, the Chiefs have, like the Packers, two second-round picks, which they can use in a trade.
Trading Up
Not just trading down should be an option for the Vikings in the 2022 draft. Trading up is an option, too. It can cost a small fortune, but it can assure a player the Vikings targeted. Cornerbacks Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner and Derek Stingley Jr. could be two of the targets.
New York Jets
The Jets own picks four and ten. Since they can get their top selection at the fourth spot and are still in a rebuild, they could benefit through trading down and gaining extra selections. A problem for the Vikings could be that the Jets need a cornerback, too. If one of the top guys falls, they can pick him up for Robert Saleh’s defense.
Seattle Seahawks & Atlanta Falcons
Both teams have the same situation. They probably won’t go anywhere in 2022. Both traded their long-tenured starting QB away. Rebuilding teams like to acquire more draft capital to bring more selections to their roster. The Seahawks have the ninth pick, while the Falcons have the eighth.
New York Giants
Just like the Jets, the other New York team has two picks in the top 10. The Giants pick at positions five and seven. They can get their top guy at the fifth spot and gain more picks by moving down.
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers are in a tricky situation. They need a quarterback unless Sam Darnold can magically transform into a franchise quarterback, and they need draft capital back. They have traded away their second, third, and fourth-round picks. Their second selection in the draft is at position 137, a late fourth-round choice — a pick previously owned by the Los Angeles Rams.
Trading down could give them some of the picks back while they can still pick their future quarterback with the Vikings’ pick. The sixth overall pick would almost guarantee Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to get a premium prospect.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who has a fable for numbers and stats. He chose the Vikings as his favorite team, despite Christian Ponder being the quarterback at the time. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia and Classic rock is his music genre of choice. Arguing about the Vikings on Twitter is one of his favorite things to do. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
Vikings Territory: Ex-Vikings QB Sharpens Longstanding Criticism of Kirk Cousins
You must be logged in to post a comment.