The Vikings’ Major Edge Rusher Trade Finally Sees the Details Solidify
A bit more than a year ago, the Vikings’ major edge rusher trade was generating plenty of debate. Did Kwesi Adofo-Mensah pay too much to get up to No. 17 for Dallas Turner?
Being able to land the pick that resulted in snagging the Alabama defender meant shipping out No. 23, No. 167, a 2025 3rd, and a 2025 4th. So, quite a draft haul for the Jaguars, the team that opted to move back several spots while picking up a trio of picks for their troubles. The 2025 NFL Draft has now come and gone, so we now know who got scooped up with the selections originally owned by Minnesota.
The Vikings’ Major Edge Rusher Trade:
Dallas Turner & The 2025 NFL Draft Results
First, consider the trade that often gets missed in the discussion: the original Texans deal that involved exchanging a pair of 2nd-Round selections for the added 1st (alongside a bit of lower-level picks in the trading).
In theory, the Vikings could have avoided that Texans deal, keeping their original selections and drafting the exact players chosen in those draft slots (in an NFL bizarro world, perhaps). The 2024 2nd got sunk into corner Kamari Lassiter. The Texans then shipped out the 2025 2nd in the Stefon Diggs trade with Buffalo. The Bills then sent the pick to the Bears, a team that used it on offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo.
So, a quick recap. Minnesota picked up No. 23 (later traded) and No. 232, which got sunk into defensive tackle Levi Drake Rodriguez. The shipped out picks got used on Lassiter at No. 42, linebacker Jamal Hill at No. 188, and Trapilo at No. 56.
What’s missing from the conversation is the No. 23 selection. So, let’s dive into what happened next.
Dallas Turner was tumbling down the board in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Vikings felt like they were getting a rarely-gifted pass rusher at a spot where he shouldn’t have been available. Adofo-Mensah thus constructed a bold trade with the Jaguars, getting to No. 17 to ensure Mr. Turner could put a horn on his helmet.
Jacksonville snagged a pair of players from the 2024 NFL Draft with the Vikings’ picks that got sent over: No. 23 and No. 167. The higher pick went toward receiver Brian Thomas while the later pick went toward running back Keilan Robinson.
Thomas’ rookie season showed ample promise. The pass catcher turned 87 catches into 1,282 yards for 10 touchdowns. Already, the young guy is putting up WR1 numbers. Robinson’s rookie season was more modest, jumping into six games. The runner was involved in 5 snaps on offense and 51 on specials. Room to improve.
The 2025 picks — the aforementioned 3rd and 4th — sent to Jacksonville ended up being No. 88 (the 3rd) alongside No. 126 (the 4th).
The Jaguars used the No. 88 selection on corner Caleb Ransaw, someone who was coming in at No. 221 on PFF’s board. By at least some estimations, then, the Ransaw selection was a reach, but that remains to be seen. After all, Danielle Hunter was once the No. 88 pick (back in 2015) and the edge rusher ended up doing alright for himself (translation: he developed into an elite edge rusher).
The No. 126 pick ended up being traded by Jacksonville to Cleveland. The Browns then used the selection on running back Dylan Sampson, someone who put up sizzling numbers for Tennessee last season. The runner turned 258 carries into 1,491 yards (5.8 YPC average) and a huge 22 touchdowns.
Shrinking things down to just the Jacksonville/Minnesota transaction would look accordingly:
The Vikings Acquired:
- EDGE Dallas Turner
The Vikings Forfeited the Opportunity to Draft:
- WR Brian Thomas
- RB Keilan Robinson
- CB Caleb Ransaw
- RB Dylan Sampson
If, however, we wanted to push things back a bit further — that initial Houston swap that gave Minnesota the needed No. 23 pick to do business with Jacksonville — then we would include these players:
The Vikings Acquired:
- DT Levi Drake Rodriguez
The Vikings Forfeited the Opportunity to Draft:
- CB Kamari Lassiter
- LB Jamal Hill
- OT Ozzy Trapilo
Boiling things down to the most basic level involves a pair of transactions where Minnesota forfeited a shot at seven players in exchange for being able to draft two players: Dallas Turner and Levi Drake Rodriguez. The crown jewel, of course, is Mr. Turner.
Dallas Turner played sparingly as a rookie, soaking up 300 snaps for Brian Flores without earning a start on defense. He had 20 tackles, 3 sacks, 5 QB hits, 3 tackles for loss, 1 interception, and 1 pass defended. A mile ahead of Lewis Cine’s rookie year but a mile behind where he needs to go to justify the costly trade.
Only 22, Turner will get the chance to keep growing and proving himself in 2025.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
Vikings Landed 2 “Draft Steals”
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and Bluesky (@VikingsGazette). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.
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