ESPN Nominates WR as Top Vikings Trade Candidate
Some think the Minnesota Vikings could trade linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. Others have spitballed running back Aaron Jones. But according to ESPN, wide receiver Jalen Nailor is the most likely player to be shipped out.
If the Minnesota Vikings become a seller in the next six days, ESPN believes general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will ship a WR elsewhere.
That’s the latest and greatest theory from Kevin Seifert, who covers the Vikings for the worldwide leader in sports. The NFL trade deadline is on November 4th — next Tuesday.
Vikings’ Main Trade Candidate? Jalen Nailor, Says ESPN
Nailor’s contract is up in a few months.
Nailor as Minnesota’s Top Trade Bait
ESPN analyzed one player per team who could leave via trade this week or next, and Nailor got the nod.
Seifert wrote, “Who could be on the move? Wide receiver Jalen Nailor. He is a key part of the Vikings’ three-receiver sets and has played the fourth-highest percentage of snaps (74.1%) of any offensive player.”
“But in the Vikings’ efforts to feed Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, Nailor has been targeted only 26 times this season. (He has caught 13 of those throws for 162 yards and a touchdown.) The Vikings aren’t looking to trade Nailor, but they have depth behind him in veteran Adam Thielen. Nailor is also a pending free agent. With Jefferson set to count for $39 million against the 2026 cap, and Addison eligible for an extension this upcoming offseason, Nailor could move on next year anyway.”
Regarding an incoming player, Seth Walder claimed Kirk Cousins made the most sense.
“Who could be targeted? Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins. It’s too obvious to ignore. The Vikings are expected to get McCarthy back this week, but he struggled when he played this season (23.2 QBR), the Carson Wentz backup experiment was largely a failure, and this team has too much potential to waste this season,” Walder explained.
Why Nailor?
Without debates from anyone, Nailor is the team’s WR3, mainly because Adam Thielen has hardly factored into the 2025 offense, and the franchise hasn’t taken the plunge in getting rookie Tai Felton involved. So, it’s not like Nailor is expendable — unless the Vikings abruptly decide that Thielen or Felton can handle the WR3 job.
Trading Nailor would be about getting something for him before the club lets him walk in free agency. This season is the final on Nailor’s contract, and while he could return in 2026 and beyond, trading him now would fetch a draft pick.
Only Adofo-Mensah knows if keeping around next offseason is in the cards. If that is not the plan, send him elsewhere for a late-round pick.
Production in 2025
Nailor is on pace for a puny and pedestrian showing this season. At his exact clip now, scaled to 17 games, he’d finish his fourth year in the pros with 32 catches, 393 yards, and a couple of touchdowns. Those are WR4 numbers and aren’t sustainable for a WR3.
The Vikings quarterbacks may be at fault, as J.J. McCarthy has missed five games due to injury, and Carson Wentz largely struggled filling in for relief. Minnesota’s passing game is a top-heavy enterprise, featuring Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and not much else.
If 393 yards are Nailor’s ceiling in 2025, the team might as well promote the rookie, Felton, and let him develop.
The Compensation?
Adofo-Mensah spent a 6th-Rounder on Nailor during the 2022 NFL Draft, and he’d be lucky to get that back in 2025. If Nailor were to be traded, the Vikings should expect to receive a 7th-Rounder in return, possibly a conditional 6th-Round pick if the other general manager felt generous.
Nailor has speed galore, but his receiving numbers just aren’t there to command more than a 6th-Rounder.
ESPN on Lions, Bears Trades
ESPN’s Eric Woodyard claimed Detroit should offload DT Roy Lopez. He noted, “Who could be on the move? Defensive tackle Roy Lopez.”
“The Lions are viewed as a serious Super Bowl contender, and although it’s unlikely that Lopez will be traded, he could benefit from a better situation from an individual standpoint; Detroit is loaded with talent at defensive tackle (Alim McNeill, DJ Reader and rookie Tyleik Williams). Lopez started in all 16 of his appearances last season with the Cardinals, but he has yet to start for Detroit.”
And Courtney Cronin on the Bears: “Who could be on the move? Wide receiver DJ Moore. Though I don’t think this is likely to happen, Moore is a more realistic trade candidate than a player such as left tackle Braxton Jones, who was benched after 44 starts and is on injured reserve until at least Week 12. Moore, an eight-year veteran, is second on the Bears in targets (38), receptions (26) and yards (331).”
Nailor will turn 27 next offseason, and if Minnesota decides it’s in the mood to extend his contract, he won’t be too expensive.
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