Vikings Tapped as Possible Trade Magnet in Draft
The general rule of thumb in an NFL draft is only to use a trade-up maneuver for a quarterback. The Minnesota Vikings don’t need a quarterback in 2022 — nor is the cast of QB characters too alluring — so the likelihood of the Vikings trading up is small.
The franchise could trade down, though. The technique was used last year by former boss Rick Spielman to land Christian Darrisaw, Kellen Mond, and Wyatt Davis. So, Vikings fans are familiar with the process.
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On Wednesday, a report from uStadium linked the Vikings to trade talks involving teams seeking to climb the draft board.
The theory checks out because the new general manager, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, preaches value above all else. If he has a handful of Top 60 players on his draft board he adores, well, allowing a team to barter for his 12th overall pick would net the Vikings an additional 2nd Rounder while still granting the Vikings a pick in the 1st Round. Think two from the price of one.
For example, the Kansas City Chiefs have the 29th and 30th overall picks on April 28th, and per most draft-trade calculators, Minnesota could hypothetically obtain those selections for the 12th pick.
As for Esden Jr.’s tweet about the New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers possibly trading up, those teams would be bargaining for a quarterback — like Malik Willis or Kenny Pickett. And unless the draft gets funky early, Willis and (or) Pickett could be available at the #12 spot.
Insert Vikings trade talks.
To land what it perceives as a quarterback of the future, the Saints or Steelers could offer a king’s mini-ransom if either team was in love with Willis or Pickett. This is how it works. The Chicago Bears, on a reasonable scale, used the tactic with the New York Giants in 2021 to seize Justin Fields from Ohio State.
The uStadium report essentially likens the 2021 Giants draft positioning to the 2022 Vikings draft positioning.
Minnesota’s “bat phone” may ring, and the team on the other end might be quasi-desperate to draft a quarterback.
Let the negotiating begin.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. 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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