Jan 11, 2020; Santa Clara, California, USA; A Minnesota Vikings fans holds a sign before the game against the San Francisco 49ers in a NFC Divisional Round playoff football game at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports.
A Minnesota Vikings trade topped all dealings Friday and capped a momentous first week of free agency. And while the swap with the Houston Texans was splashy, the next installment of the plan will be on the way, according to one long-time draft analyst.
For starters, Vikings fans woke up to this tweet on Friday morning from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport: “A Draft Trade!! The Vikings and Texans have agreed to terms on a major deal in advance of the draft, per me and Tom Pelissero, landing Minnesota another 1. Minnesota gets No. 23 and No. 232. Houston gets No. 42, 188 and a 2025 2nd rounder. MIN moves up, HOU collects.”
Here’s a visual of the trade:
Vikings Receive:
No. 23
No. 232
Texans Receive:
No. 42
No. 188
2025 2nd-Round pick
It’s a 1st-Rounder for two 2nd-Rounders, with a miniature late-round pick swap.
Minnesota now has the ammunition to move into the draft’s Top 10 spots — probably Top 3 or Top 5 — for its quarterback of the future. Former quarterback Kirk Cousins left the franchise on Monday for the lure of Atlanta money, fetching $180 million from the Falcons over the next four years.
The Vikings also signed quarterback Sam Darnold, though most believe he will fill the quintessential “bridge quarterback” role in 2024.
In all likelihood, the Vikings have their eyes on one of four men: Caleb Williams (USC), Drake Maye (North Carolina), Jayden Daniels (LSU), or J.J. McCarthy (Michigan) — and they needed Friday’s trade to ensure they could draft one. But the trade with Houston is just the first step.
According to Todd McShay, another deal is upcoming, “The Vikings don’t make this move unless they’ve already had serious discussions with a specific team re: what it will take to move up for the QB they desire (presumably not named Caleb or Jayden). So is it NE at 3 (for Maye)? Or a team picking a couple/few spots down (for JJ)?”
ESPN’s Jordan Reid added via tweet, “Love the move from Kwesi. The Vikings are clearly loading up for a trade up for a QB. They’re also a Dalton Risner or KJ Osborn signing away from acquiring two extra third round comp picks in 2025 (Cousins/Hunter). Giving up next year’s second rounder was an easy decision.”
So, in layperson’s terms, this is the consensus: the Vikings would not have made the deal with Houston if it didn’t have a clear and evident path to the next trade. Otherwise, the trade could’ve waited until the draft when Minnesota could see the draft lay of the land. Swapping assets with Houston suggests general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will trade up before or during the event, probably to a pick within the Top 5.
Now, it’s a waiting game to determine whether the next trade is pre-draft or on April 25th. But it’s comin’. And life sans Cousins will begin with a splash.
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.