Questions Answered: Most Likely Vikings Player Trade in Draft, For Sure Draft Selection, Shaquill Griffin
Via our weekly mailbag piece, VikingsTerritory answers questions from the general population about the Minnesota Vikings.
Questions Answered: Most Likely Vikings Player Trade in Draft, For Sure Draft Selection, Shaquill Griffin
The NFL draft is just six days away, so unsurprisingly, this week’s question primarily centered around the event.
We won’t always answer these questions with 100% accuracy, but that’s obviously our goal.
Here are this week’s questions.
Question: If the Vikings trade an existing player during the draft, who will it be?
Answer: We’ll take a player to even out or round a deal for draft picks — so, linebacker Brian Asamoah or running back Ty Chandler.
Some have suggested big-ticket players like Jordan Addison or T.J. Hockenson could be on the move — mainly because they’d fetch more than late-round picks — but those men are integral parts of the offense in 2025.
Harrison Phillips is an intriguing candidate, especially if Minnesota selects Walter Nolen, Kenneth Grant, or Derrick Harmon in Round 1.
On the whole, we’ll take a depth player like Asamoah or Chandler if players are traded at all. It might just be picks, per usual.
Question: Do you think you know anything “for sure” about a Kwesi Adofo-Mensah draft selection next week?
Answer: No. But if we had to guess, we’d say the 5th-Round selection of running back Brashard Smith from SMU.
Smith fabulously blends Minnesota’s team needs for an RB3, draft value, and skill set. The Vikings probably won’t escape this draft without an additional tailback — this crop is that damn deep. Then, Minnesota has a pick at the very top of the 5th Round, and that’s about where Smith will find his first NFL team. Finally, Smith is one of the best pass-protection halfbacks among 2025 rookies.
Pass blocking from a running back feels mandatory in Kevin O’Connell’s offense.
So, we’ll lock in Smith to Minnesota when the 5th Round starts, with the aforementioned Chandler probably cut this summer.
The Draft Network‘s Keith Sanchez profiles Smith: “Upon transferring to SMU for the 2024 season, Smith seized the opportunity to become a lead back and emerged as one of the nation’s most productive running backs in one of the country’s top offenses. His performance was instrumental in helping the SMU Mustangs make their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance. Smith is a dynamic running back who leverages his quickness and explosiveness to create big plays.”
“As a runner, Smith demonstrates two distinct styles depending on the scheme—gap or zone. In a gap scheme, Smith showcases quick processing and excellent vision once he receives the handoff. He rapidly identifies lanes and creases in the line of scrimmage, using his lateral agility and jump cuts to reach the hole.”
We’ll take it.
Question: Will Minnesota sign Shaquill Griffin after the draft if it doesn’t find a rookie cornerback?
Answer: Yes — if the team decides it needs another cornerback.
Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, Mekhi Blackmon, Jeff Okudah, and Dwight McGlothern are the main corners on the roster at the moment. Assuming general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah adds another somewhere from Rounds 1 through 5, does Minnesota really need any more?
In that regard, Griffin probably isn’t needed.
Last summer, Adofo-Mensah signed Stephon Gilmore and promoted Griffin when Khyree Jackson died and Blackmon tore his ACL. Minnesota is due for a tragedy-free summer, meaning Griffin may not be called upon.
It’s also worth noting that Griffin recently met with the Seattle Seahawks, the team that drafted him eight years ago, about a free-agent contract. No deal has materialized, but teams are at least quasi-interested in his services.
Question: When will Kwesi Adofo-Mensah be extended?
Answer: Our best guess is sometime in May.
The franchise’s ownership has basically guaranteed that an extension is incoming. Adofo-Mensah is under contract through the end of the 2026 NFL Draft. It really doesn’t matter when he signs on the dotted line, but to resolve lingering offseason matters, May feels like a good bet.
Adofo-Mensah’s attention is focused solely on the draft right now, and he even hinted that he hasn’t been eager to finalize an extension because he’s just so busy.
May or June — and Minnesota’s coaching staff (Kevin O’Connell), along with the front office, will be secured for the next several years.
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