Vikings Should Consider One Specific Trade in Draft
In seven days, most draft pundits expect the Minnesota Vikings to draft a defensive back, an interior offensive lineman, or a defensive tackle.
Vikings Should Consider One Specific Trade in Draft
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has four picks during the event, but based on his history of draft-night trades, that allotment could somewhat easily climb to six or seven.
And he’ll have oodles of trade partners to choose from; here’s why he should consider the Seattle Seahawks.
Doing Business with the Seahawks
The Seahawks have quite the draft war chest in 2025. Seattle is scheduled to pick 10 times — yes, 10 — between April 24th and 26th, an obscene amount and a haul not merely uplifted by late-rounders. Seattle has six picks in the Top 150.
Specifically for Minnesota’s interest, Seattle has pick Nos. 50 and 52 in Round 2, which could intrigue Adofo-Mensah if he chooses to trade back from his 24th spot.
If that’s his preference, Adofo-Mensah should target the 50th pick and veteran cornerback Tariq Woolen.
Target Cornerback Tariq Woolen
Woolen is 6’4″ and 210 pounds — massive for a cornerback. He’ll turn 26 next month and is a 5th-Round alumnus from the 2022 NFL Draft. He’s due for a contract extension, which the Seahawks have not offered through three months of the offseason. Minnesota could reasonably afford his extension.
Here’s Woolen’s Pro Football Focus resume:
2024: 67.9 (Coverage = 65.7)
2023: 67.1 (Coverage = 75.0)
2022: 67.1 (Coverage = 74.2)
The man is also durable, missing just three games in three seasons as a full-time starter.
This is Woolen’s passer-rating-against:
2024: 76.9
2023: 79.8
2022: 48.7
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores always attempts to find at least one big cornerback for his CB room, although as of late, the solutions have been half-measured.
Woolen would serve as a bonafide commodity.
What the Woolen Trade Could Look Like
Suppose Adofo-Mensah subscribed to the Woolen trade theory. Here’s what a trade might look like:
Vikings Get:
Tariq Woolen
Pick No. 50 (Round 2)
Pick No. 92 (Round 3)
Seahawks Get:
Pick No. 24 (Round 1)
2026 6th-Rounder
Seattle said goodbye to D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett this offseason, two recent offensive mainstays. With the trade above, it could use the Vikings’ 24th pick to select Emeka Egbuka or Luther Burden III, for example, two Round 1 wide receivers.
Minnesota has miserably drafted cornerbacks for 10 years; trading for Woolen would subtract the mystery from the equation.
Woolen Benched Last Year
The Woolen theory wasn’t concocted whimsically. The Seahawks benched him for a brief stretch last season.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said about the temporary demotion in December, “That was just a team rule thing. We made it right, and that’s what we decided to do, what was best for the team, and we’ll move forward.”
“It wasn’t Riq’s best game, but he’s a guy that we’re going to continue to lean on and trust to make plays for us and lock down his area of the field. I think Riq’s tackling well. He’s doing a lot of good things. When the ball doesn’t come his way, there’s a reason why they’re not throwing his direction. But there are just a couple of plays right now per game where we want more from him, and he knows that. He’s the first one to tell you.”
Ironically, the benching occurred against Minnesota in a loss.
Woolen said about the bench assignment, “I don’t give a shit anymore. I really don’t care. I mean, when you do good, they gonna love you. When you do bad, they gonna talk about you.”
That sounds like a man who can be obtained via trade.
A Proven CB + More Draft Picks
So, with this plan, Minnesota would onboard a large-bodied cornerback that Flores usually seeks. Adofo-Mensah wouldn’t continue his team’s long history of screwing up cornerback draft picks. He’d add an extra draft pick in Round 3. And the Seahawks would net a 1st-Rounder.
It’s the cliche: “Who says no?”
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