The Cliffhanger Scenario in Vikings Draft
From the moment Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah pressed the button on a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars last year, he probably knew he’d become a heavy trader in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Cliffhanger Scenario in Vikings Draft
Adofo-Mensah shipped most of his mid-round 2025 draft class to the Jaguars during the 2024 NFL Draft, nabbing Alabama outside linebacker Dallas Turner for his troubles.
The young executive now has Turner to unleash this September — but a teensy draft class in two days.
Therefore, most believe Adofo-Mensah will conduct some degree of trading. And one quite reasonable scenario would leave purple fans with the almighty cliffhanger scenario, one that Sylvester Stallone would be proud of — trading with the Cleveland Browns for pick No. 33, also known as the very top of Round 2.
Such a deal would leave fans waiting for the pick’s announcement … a 21-hour process.
Trading Back with the Browns to No. 33
As it stands, Minnesota possesses the 24th overall pick, a decent spot to capture a defensive tackle, safety, or offensive lineman for purple purposes.
But as the draft machine has indicated for the two weeks, the Browns will likely use their second overall pick on Travis Hunter, a cornerback + wide receiver from Colorado, not a quarterback, like Hunter’s teammate, Shedeur Sanders.
Here’s the deal, though. Cleveland will still need a rookie quarterback from the draft unless it plans to start Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett in the fall. Would a team really start Flacco or Pickett as the standalone QB1 solution?
Naw — the Browns need a passer, and the Vikings’ No. 24 pick could be prime territory for Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, whose stock has climbed in the last month.
Following this train of thought and theory, the Browns could do trade business with the Vikings and seize Dart.
What the Browns-Vikings Trade Might Look Like
Curious minds want to know the would-be trade details. Well, here goes nothin’.
Browns Get:
Pick No. 24 (Jaxson Dart)
Vikings Get:
Pick No. 33 (Top of Round 2)
Pick No. 94 (Round 3)
Pick No. 179 (Round 6)
Pick No. 192 (Round 6)
That deal may seem lopsided toward Minnesota to the naked eye, but it balanced just fine on trusted trade calculators — probably because 6th-Rounders are not very valuable.
Have All Day Friday to Plan Draft Pick
After pulling off the transaction with Cleveland, Adofo-Mensah would have all damn day on Friday to plan his approach, likely choosing a defensive tackle, cornerback, safety, or offensive lineman.
These names could be available at pick No. 33, the first pick of Round 2:
- Trey Amos (CB, Ole Miss)
- Tyler Booker (G, Alabama)
- Maxwell Hairston (CB, Kentucky)
- TreVeyon Henderson (RB, Ohio State)
- Donovan Jackson (G, Ohio State)
- Shavon Revel Jr. (CB, East Carolina)
- Tyleik Williams (RB, Ohio State)
Have All Day Friday to Listen to More Trade Offers
What’s more, with the cliffhanger scenario — Vikings fans waiting all day Friday to learn the identity of the pick — Adofo-Mensah could also trade again. He’d have all Thursday overnight into Friday, and Friday morning + afternoon, to listen to the best trade proposal.
The first pick of Round 2 is usually a hot commodity, as 31 teams peek at their boards to determine if a player is worth a trade.
Adofo-Mensah would be the judge of those offers, a role that seems he’d relish.
The Adofo-Mensah Link to Cleveland
Also — don’t forget that Adofo-Mensah came to Minnesota from Cleveland. He worked alongside current Cleveland boss Andrew Berry, establishing a built-in relationship for future dealings — like the one outlined in this cliffhanger proposal.
If Berry wants his quarterback to get over the hump of the abysmal Deshaun Watson era, his protege, Adofo-Mensah, could hold the golden ticket.
The Mock Draft Darlings Down the Stretch if No Trade
If none of this applies, the mock draft community believes Minnesota will draft a safety. For example, CBS Sports‘ Bryan DeArdo posted a mock draft on Tuesday with Georgia’s Malaki Starks to Minnesota. He wrote: “This pick makes a lot of sense for the Vikings, given Cam Bynum’s offseason departure and Harrison Smith getting closer to retirement. Starks is known for being a reliable tackler with impressive ball skills.”
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert picked South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori for Minnesota on Tuesday: “The Vikings would trade down from this spot only for a slam dunk return, and none materialized in conversations here. With Booker, Zabel and Harmon all off the table, the choice here is a safety whose size and playmaking skills would make him an intriguing addition to Brian Flores’ positionless defense.”
“The Vikings have one safety position to fill this season after bidding farewell to Camryn Bynum, and 36-year-old Harrison Smith has been in year-to-year mode for a while. Similarities with 2022 first-round pick Lewis Cine, a safety who was released after two seasons, won’t deter this decision.”
The world thinks it’ll be a safety for Adofo-Mensah if he doesn’t trade back.
A 3rd Vikings QB Is on the Way
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