Vikings Named a Trade Destination for 3-Time Pro Bowler
New York Giants nose tackle Dexter Lawrence requested a trade to start the week, and it didn’t take long for the Minnesota Vikings to be named as a possible landing spot.
Minnesota could chase a true game-wrecker for Brian Flores’ defensive front.
Yahoo Sports‘ staff put together trade destinations for Lawrence, who is seeking a contract extension, as the guaranteed money on his current deal has expired.
Lawrence Would Change the Shape of the Vikings’ Defense
Would you trade a 1st- or 2nd-Rounder to get Lawrence?
Vikings on Shortlist for Lawrence per Yahoo
Lawrence asked for a trade on Monday afternoon, and within hours, the world speculated about his next employer.
Yahoo Sports explained the Vikings as a fit: “The Vikings need help on the interior of their defensive line after releasing Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen this offseason, and a gap-shooting space-eater like Lawrence in the middle could really help unspool all the funky disguises and blitzes returning defensive coordinator Brian Flores likes to deploy.”
“Plus, one knock (however slight) on the Vikings’ recent defenses is there hasn’t been a true star you can set your clock to. Lawrence certainly qualifies. This would be a big swing for de facto general manager Rob Brzezinski, and landing Lawrence could go a long way toward him sealing up the permanent gig for a team with designs on contending in the NFC.”
The Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, and Tennessee Titans were also mentioned in the publication.
The Lawrence Bio
At 28 years old, Lawrence has amassed an impressive 30.5 sacks, 103 quarterback hits, 40 tackles for loss, and 15 forced fumbles in 109 career games. A three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, he is the type of interior defender offenses must game plan around.
Widely regarded as the NFL’s best nose tackle and considered by many to be in contention for the title of best defensive tackle overall, Lawrence’s trade request on Monday sent shockwaves throughout the league, as a player of his caliber changing teams could rapidly alter the competitive landscape.
This is Lawrence’s Pro Football Focus scorecard over the last seven seasons:
- 2019: 76.2
- 2020: 79.7
- 2021: 68.6
- 2022: 91.6
- 2023: 92.9
- 2024: 89.9
- 2025: 75.6
How Much via Trade?
This is the tricky part. Giants fans on social media absolutely insist that Lawrence is worth a 1st-Round pick but also a player or mid-round selection. Yet, he’ll turn 29 this fall, is fending off a bad elbow, and hasn’t logged a full sack in a game since October 2024.
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan tweeted Monday, “Asked around the league and the general consensus appears to be that IF the Giants were willing to trade Dexter Lawrence, the return would be in the range of late first-round pick to second-rounder.”
For the Vikings, a deal for Lawrence could look something like this if Raanan has it right:
Vikings Receive —
Dexter Lawrence
Pick No. 37 (Round 1)
Giants Receive —
Pick No. 18 (Round 1)
Pick No. 82 (Round 3)
It will also be telling to see if a bidding war drives the price for Lawrence up.
CBS Sports‘ Carter Bahns noted Monday, “On the heels of a serious injury and the letdown campaign that followed it, however, the Giants would be hard-pressed to ask for much more than half of that trade package. Run defense-needy teams ought to still value Lawrence enough to swap a first-round pick for him, but anything more than that would be gravy for the Giants until he proves to be back in prime form.”
“At that price, why not continue working towards a long-term deal that keeps him around? If the negotiations get uglier in the months to come, though, or if Lawrence’s request sparks the interest of potential buyers, there are a handful of teams who would be unsurprising if they showed interest.”
Allen + Hargrave Out
Why do the Vikings need a defensive tackle like Lawrence? Well, the club released two starting DTs last month, with Jonathan Allen later signing in Cincinnati and Javon Hargrave picking the Green Bay Packers. At the moment, Minnesota has Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Taki Taimani, Elijah Williams, and Jaylon Hutchings lined up at the position. Most expect interim general manager Rob Brzezinski to explore a defensive tackle in the draft.
Or — the Vikings could invest in a sure thing with Lawrence.
The only drawback? Age. Minnesota has one of the NFL’s oldest rosters during the 2026 offseason. Trading for Lawrence would not change that.
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