5 Realistic Players the Vikings Can Target in Draft Trades
Many Minnesota Vikings fans believe the purple and gold team will trade down the draftboard on April 24th.
5 Realistic Players the Vikings Can Target in Draft Trades
Why? Well, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah owns just four picks this year, offloading most of his 2025 draft picks last year for trades that fetched pass rusher Dallas Turner.
The draft pick trade theories are probably true. Few dispute them.
But what if the Vikings target existing players in the draft — instead of more picks? These are the five realistic options, listed in ascending order (No. 1 = most likely player to be acquired via trade).
5. Quenton Nelson (G, IND)
Why not totally get the band together?
Minnesota already signed two interior offensive linemen from the Indianapolis Colts in free agency: Will Fries (G) and Ryan Kelly (C). Nelson isn’t necessarily on the trade block at the moment, but if Indianapolis traded him, it would save over $28 million throughout the next two seasons.
It’s also worth noting that Nelson has just $2 million guaranteed left on his current contract.
There’s a world where the Colts draft a guard like Grey Zabel, Tate Ratledge, or Charles Grant at the end of the month and start the clock over at guard with an affordable rookie.
Minnesota, in theory, could send its 97th overall pick to Indianapolis for Nelson, a 29-year-old, and completely showcase the Colts’ 2024 offensive line interior.
4. Denzel Ward (CB, CLE)
Here’s the theory on a Ward trade — a man, unlike Nelson, who has actually inhabited the trade rumor mill this offseason.
The Cleveland Browns might draft Travis Hunter in 10 days, and just like that, they would have a high-profile cornerback under contract for the next five years. Ward has an average cap hit of $27 million over the next three seasons, and the Browns are in salary cap doldrums because of the awful Deshaun Watson contract.
They could trade Ward and a 3rd-Rounder to Minnesota for the Vikings’ 24th overall pick, for example.
3. Will Levis (QB, TEN)
The Tennessee Titans are mere days from drafting Miami’s Cam Ward as their quarterback of the future. It may be too damn awkward to employ Levis and Ward on the same depth chart, as, less than two years ago, Levis was tabbed as the quarterback of the future.
So, hoping to start fresh at QB1, the Titans sell Levis for a 5th-Round pick to a team like Minnesota, which really, really, needs a QB2 after a shutout through five weeks of free agency.
2. Greg Newsome II (CB, CLE)
Similar to the Denzel Ward argument above, but with less money involved, can the Browns afford to pay Newsome II’s impending extension? Probably not. Denzel Ward already earns megabucks, Deshaun Watson has ruined everything financially for Cleveland, and the aforementioned Hunter could be on tap for the Browns’ second overall pick.
That hypothetical process would leave Newsome II as an NFL orphan, and Adofo-Mensah could pounce.
Of note: Adofo-Mensah worked in the Browns’ front office when they drafted Newsome II in 2021.
Newsome II produced an underwhelming 2024 campaign but notched commendable Pro Football Focus grades in the high 60s from 2021 to 2023. Minnesota could probably trade their 97th overall pick to Cleveland for Newsome II and 5th-Rounder or something similar.
1. Sam Howell (QB, SEA)
Drew Lock signed with the Seattle Seahawks last week, and there’s just no room for Sam Darnold, Drew Lock, Sam Howell, and Jaren Hall on the same depth chart.
Accordingly, Seattle could trade Howell to a QB2-hungry team, and there may be no team in the NFL more QB2-needy than Kevin O’Connell’s squad.
Sometime in the draft or perhaps after, Minnesota could trade a 6th-Rounder to the Seahawks for Howell, and Adofo-Mensah’s little backup quarterback problem would be vanquished.
Howell passed for nearly 4,000 yards in 2023 with 21 touchdowns.
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