Vikings Linked to Veteran Cornerback via Trade
Minnesota Vikings cornerback Isaiah Rodgers recruited Kenny Moore II on Instagram over the weekend, and it just so happens that a credible NFL insider believes Moore II could, indeed, land with the Vikings via trade.
Minnesota has CB questions, and Moore fits the veteran-insurance lane.
Albert Breer opined on Moore II’s future Monday after he requested a trade late last week, and Minnesota might be his next destination.
Where Moore II Would Fit in the Vikings’ Cornerback Plan
Folks are still waiting for the Vikings’ first trade of 2026.
Breer: Watch for Moore II to Vikings
Rodgers might get his wish. Breer wrote, “As for potential landing spots, I think Dallas would be one, with the nickel being an important piece in new coordinator Christian Parker’s defense and the Cowboys having a hole after Jourdan Lewis’s departure to the Jaguars last year. The Vikings are another potential fit, with Moore’s versatility meshing, at least on paper, with how DC Brian Flores builds his defense.”
“Those teams being in the NFC should also make them likely suitors, assuming Indy would rather not help out a conference rival. Moore, who will turn 31 in August, is in a contract year, so that’ll drive down his value some. But if the price was a Day 3 pick on the higher end, and I had a need like Dallas and Minnesota, I’d probably do it.”
When Rodgers, a teammate of Moore II for three seasons from 2020 to 2022, pounded the table for him on Instagram, many assumed it wouldn’t amount to much. Breer’s specific mention of the Vikings adds legitimacy.
MIN’s Current CBs
Do the Vikings need Moore II? Not necessarily — unless they choose to embrace much more depth than last year, which was considered skimpy by every Vikings fan’s standards.
As it stands, these are the Vikings’ corners before the draft
- Byron Murphy Jr.
- Isaiah Rodgers
- James Pierre
- Dwight McGlothern
- Zemaiah Vaughn
The group could obviously use a reputable CB4, but Moore II, quite frankly, is too good for that task.
Moore II’s Stats
While Moore II, who turns 31 in August, wouldn’t be a long-term investment for the Vikings, he would offer reliability. He’d be a solid, experienced cornerback to have in reserve, providing insurance in case Murphy Jr., Rodgers, or Pierre were to suffer injuries.
His performance in 2023 and 2024 supports this assessment, with a slight downturn in 2025. Moore remains a dependable veteran with a history as a longtime starter, even earning a Pro Bowl selection in 2021. His Pro Football Focus grades over the years:
2025: 66.7
2024: 70.1
2023: 76.8
2022: 55.7
2021: 66.6
2020: 73.8
2019: 75.5
2018: 68.7
2017: 65.9
His passer-rating-allowed marks also reflect his consistency:
2025: 87.8
2024: 83.6
2023: 96.6
2022: 117.7
2021: 86.9
2020: 97.2
2019: 76.8
2018: 80.0
Although Moore isn’t a high-value trade target, and teams are rarely eager to acquire 31-year-old corners, pursuing him would have been a logical move for Minnesota had they not signed Pierre in March. As it stands, he remains a viable insurance option with a reasonably high floor.
ESPN’s Stephen Holder on Moore II’s trade outlook: “A pre-June 1 trade would save the Colts more than $7 million in salary cap space. With fellow cornerbacks Sauce Gardner and Charvarius Ward already on huge contracts, the Colts lead the NFL in salary cap spending at the position in 2026.”
“Ward said in January that he was contemplating retirement after suffering three concussions last season but told Holder in February that he was reconsidering that position. If Moore is traded, second-year cornerback Justin Walley would likely be asked to step up in the slot.”
The Free Agency and Draft Options
What if the Vikings want an extra cornerback, but it’s not Moore via trade? There are options. These are the free-agent routes:
- Trevon Diggs
- Rasul Douglas
- Martin Emerson
- Shaq Griffin
- Mike Hilton
- Adoree’ Jackson
- Dane Jackson
- Marshon Lattimore
- Fabian Moreau
- L’Jarius Sneed
- Tre’Davious White
And these cornerbacks could end up with the Vikings, if one assumes that Minnesota drafts one before the end of Round 4, which would signal contributions more likely than not:
- Jermod McCoy (Tennessee | R1)
- Avieon Terrell (Clemson | R1)
- Colton Hood (Tennessee | R2)
- Brandon Cisse (South Carolina | R2)
- Chris Johnson (San Diego State | R2)
- D’Angelo Ponds (Indiana | R2)
- Keionte Scott (Miami (FL) | R2-R3)
- Treydan Stukes (Arizona | R3)
- Keith Abney II (Arizona State | R3)
- Davison Igbinosun (Ohio State | R3)
- Julian Neal (Arkansas | R3-R4)
- Malik Muhammad (Texas | R4)
- Chandler Rivers (Duke | R4)
- Devin Moore (Florida | R4)
- Daylen Everette (Georgia | R4)
- Will Lee III (Texas A&M | R4-)
- Tacario Davis (Washington | R4)
- Ephesians Prysock (Washington | (R4)
The draft’s top corner, Mansoor Delane of LSU, is expected to leave the draftboard in the Top 12 picks.
Moore II should be gettable for a 6th-Round pick or so.
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