The Top 3 Vikings Draft Trades of the Last 20 Years
Some credible reports this week suggested that the 2026 NFL Draft will feature more trades than usual, so we decided it was time for a VikingsTerritory refresher on draft-night trades.
A few Minnesota draft deals aged extremely well once the picks turned into long-term starters.
The Vikings actually fired the guy who traded like a fiend in late January, but interim boss Rob Brzezinski has been around the franchise long enough — 27 years — to finagle some deals of his own.
Robison, Griffen, and Smith Turned Trade Capital Into Defensive Cornerstones
The NFL draft is the most popular forum in sports for all trades. The following is a list of the Vikings’ three best trades during the draft since 2006, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = top draft-night deal).
3. The 2007 Deal for DE Brian Robison
The Trade —
a 2007 4th-Rounder and 6th-Rounder
to TB
for a 2007 4th-Rounder
Trade Aftermath —
Buccaneers Received: DB Tanard Jackson and LB Adam Hayward
Vikings Received: DE Brian Robison
The Vikings moved up four spots in the draft for the cost of a 6th-Round pick and ended up with Brian Robison for 11 seasons. Jackson and Hayward stuck around the league for a bit, but neither came close to matching Robison’s output.
Robison later held down a starting job from 2011 to 2016 in Minnesota and piled up 60 sacks. Every snap of his NFL career came in Minnesota.
2. The 2010 Deal for DE Everson Griffen
The Trade —
a 2010 1st-Rounder and 4th-Rounder
to DET
for a 2010 2nd-Rounder, 4th-Rounder, and 7th-Rounder
Trade Aftermath —
Lions Received: RB Jahvid Best and OL Jason Fox
Vikings Received: DB Chris Cook, DE Everson Griffen, and TE Mickey Shuler
Jahvid Best’s semi-productive stint with the Lions and Fox’s limited role (three starts) were just the beginning. The Vikings initially hoped Chris Cook would be the key acquisition in that trade, but the true value emerged later. When Mike Zimmer became head coach in 2014, Everson Griffen blossomed into a Pro Bowl-caliber player and ultimately became the defining piece of the exchange.
Meanwhile, Shuler never played a game for Minnesota, and Cook remained a low-impact backup. This trade down worked for Minnesota, as Griffen compiled four Pro Bowls with the Vikings.
1. The 2012 Deal for S Harrison Smith
The Trade —
a 2012 2nd-Rounder and 4th-Rounder
to BAL
for a 2012 1st-Rounder
Trade Aftermath —
Ravens Received: OLB Courtney Upshaw and G Gino Gradkowski
Vikings Received: S Harrison Smith
After trading up six spots to re-enter the 1st Round and draft Smith, Minnesota saw an immediate return on their investment. Smith quickly solidified the secondary and has been a mainstay of the Vikings’ defense for 14 seasons. He’s forged a Hall of Fame resume, featuring longevity and staying where his feet were planted.
Although both Upshaw and Gradkowski played in Baltimore, neither received a second contract.
Smith, meanwhile, may or may not return in 2026. The Vikings technically cut him last month, though he has a rather binary decision to return for Year No. 15 or retire.
Star Tribune‘s Andrew Krammer wrote about Smith’s future and the Vikings’ budding safety need last month, “Safety Harrison Smith was celebrated in the finale of his 14th Vikings season as if it were the end. But nothing is official yet. If he’s released, the team will likely use a salary cap lever to free up a marginal amount of room.”
“Smith’s contract is scheduled to void, and releasing him with a post-June 1 designation, a maneuver that defers $7.6 million in remaining cap charges to 2027, frees an additional $1.3 million, according to OverTheCap.com. Smith’s absence would leave a massive hole on the roster.”
Since Krammer’s musings, Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman has morphed into the Vikings’ keynote draft darling.
Krammer added, “Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski’s shopping list this month may include a starting safety, of which there are many intriguing pending free agents. This seems like a good year to need help. The Vikings could use a centerfield type to cover deep zones in a way they weren’t able to quickly replicate when safety Cam Bynum got paid by Indianapolis last year.”
“Safety Josh Metellus rightfully got paid as a do-it-all defender, but he’s not at his best when backpedaling. Safety Theo Jackson’s role diminished under coordinator Brian Flores, who started giving late-season looks to safety Jay Ward.”
The Vikings could add to the draft-night trade list in two weeks, as draft pundits expect the event to feature more trades than usual. For example, Minnesota, equipped with the 18th overall pick, could swing a deal with the Miami Dolphins, obtaining the 30th overall pick and two 3rd-Rounders, which would balance on most trade calculators.
Smith wins the trade list. Six Pro Bowls speak for themselves. All with the same franchise.
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