NFL Draft
The Minnesota Vikings are currently scheduled to be rather quiet on Friday during the 2024 NFL Draft — they have no draft picks.
The previous 2nd- and 3rd-Round selections were spent in trades acquiring a 1st-Round pick from the Houston Texans and tight end T.J. Hockenson in 2022.
Minnesota will choose five times on Saturday, but nothing is on the docket for action Friday evening. So far, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has added quarterback J.J. McCarthy of Michigan and Alabama EDGE rusher Dallas Turner, two selections revered by the fans.
If Minnesota somehow gets back into the mix Friday night, this is how it can be done.
And for context, these are the Vikings’ existing picks for the rest of the draft:
Perhaps the most likely method, Adofo-Mensah would continue his most recent trend: trading multiple later-round assets for higher-round picks. It’s how he acquired McCarthy and Turner.
Here’s an example:
Vikings Get:
Late 3rd-Round Pick (Somewhere between 92 to 100)
Vikings Give:
Pick No. 108 (4th Round)
Pick No. 177 (6th Round)
It’s also worth noting that this is probably the “boring” or least controversial method. Too, Minnesota could dip into the 2026 draft bucket, but that should be considered unlikely.
Next — the player route.
Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth were selected two years ago — now almost infamously — during Adofo-Mensah’s first draft. Through two seasons, neither has panned out. Cine’s leg snapped in London 18 months ago, and when he recovered, Minnesota had “too many” good safeties for him to grab playing time.
For Booth, he’s played well when called upon but only experienced 100 defensive snaps in 2023.
Here’s the trade example:
Vikings Get:
Late 3rd-Round Pick (Somewhere between 90 to 100)
Vikings Give:
Andrew Booth OR Lewis Cine
Pick No. 108 (4th Round)
Finally, the most controversial method.
Brian O’Neill is one of the team’s most expensive players, and in theory, if he were traded, Minnesota could turn around and sign a free agent like David Bakhtiari, Charles Leno, Mekhi Becton, or D.J. Humphries to replace him. This may also be the least likely method.
The perk, however, is potentially getting back into Round 2 if O’Neill is for sale.
Here’s an example:
Vikings Get:
2nd-Round Pick (Somewhere between 40 to 64)
Vikings Give:
Brian O’Neill
7th-Round Pick
This one is unlikely to materialize, but it is an option. Teams love solid offensive tackles, and rightfully so.
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 Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.