Coming off a playoff appearance and a 10-6 regular season, the Minnesota Vikings traded away a disgruntled receiver to net them an extra first-round pick.
That description applies not only to the present Vikings circumstance but also seven years prior, leading up to the 2013 draft. Minnesota was coming off a surprise Wild Card berth led by running back Adrian Peterson, but playmaking receiver and kick return Percy Harvin had been stewing behind the scenes and was shipped to the Seattle Seahawks.
Seven years later, that discontented receiver was Stefon Diggs. Rick Spielman again leveraged denials that he intended to trade his star pass-catcher before shipping him to the opposite corner of the country in Buffalo for four draft picks.
And just like in 2013, when the Vikings had Picks 23 and 25, the 2020 Vikings have to stare up at a lot of selections before they get their turn on the clock at 22 and 25.
That 2013 team, led by general manager Rick Spielman, desperately needed receiver and cornerback help. Likewise, Spielman’s current group needs receiver and cornerback help, amongst other positions.
Seven years ago, Spielman ended up making the most noise of any GM on night one of the draft, using the Vikings’ two scheduled picks on defense and splashing again later in the round to add a dynamic offensive talent.
Here’s how April 23’s draft could mirror the Vikings’ haul from seven years ago.
PICK 23, 2013
The Vikings didn’t necessarily need an inside pass rusher with six-time Pro Bowler Kevin Williams still on the roster, but an unexpected fall by Florida Gators defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd forced the Vikings’ hand. Floyd didn’t have eye-popping production or a long track record at Florida, but he was nonetheless regarded as a high-impact, versatile defensive lineman that was expected to go in the top 10-15 picks.
Some speculated Floyd’s arm length was a concern. Others had no explanation. His precipitous fall even caught Spielman off guard. “With Sharrif Floyd, I went through 1,000 scenarios with that 23rd and 25th pick,” Spielman said that night, “and I can just tell you honestly that he was not [available] in one of those scenarios.”
With Williams on the back end of his career (he would be released after the 2013 season), Floyd was able to join the team and learn for a year before delivering two strong seasons in 2014-15 before a surgical mishap — followed by lawsuits with doctors and grievances with the Vikings — prematurely ended his career.
THE PARALLEL
Even moreso than the 2013 squad, 3-technique defensive tackle is a significant need for the current Vikings, just below wide receiver and cornerback. The Vikings tried to make do with Shamar Stephen last year after losing Sheldon Richardson in free agency, but Stephen struggled mightily to get after the passer with only six pressures applied on the season. It seems like a sure thing they’ll address the position at some point in the draft, but could a special talent fall in their lap in the first round?
On the latest Football Machine, @SamEkstrom presents @ArifHasanNFL and @Luke_SpinmanNFL with a @TheDraftNetwork simulation to see who the #Vikings should take at Pick 22.
FULL EPISODE: https://t.co/ahiL6sRGB3 pic.twitter.com/qFSUeBniIt
— Zone Coverage (@ZoneCoverageMN) April 2, 2020
Most pundits have South Carolina defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw going off the board in the middle of the first round. He is widely considered the No. 2 defensive tackle behind Derrick Brown, and numerous mocks have him going No. 16 to the Atlanta Falcons. Like Floyd, he is an SEC talent with a somewhat limited college resume. Both prospects also had tough upbringings.
Kinlaw, who recorded 10 sacks over the previous two years, has dealt with hip and knee injuries that have slowed his offseason. If those health concerns spook teams at all and Kinlaw drops, the Vikings could be given the chance to pounce on a unique talent.
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PICK 25, 2013
Two picks after landing Floyd, Spielman addressed the team’s suspect pass defense by drafting Florida State corner Xavier Rhodes, who had eight college interceptions. The Vikings weren’t getting what they wanted out of former second-round pick Chris Cook, Antoine Winfield had just been released and 2012 third-round pick Josh Robinson was undersized.
Rhodes was a special breed with 6-foot-2, 215-pound size to go with impressive movement skills.
He didn’t make a significant impact as a rookie in 2013, but once Mike Zimmer joined the picture in 2014 the cornerback-guru head coach quickly turned Rhodes into a shutdown press corner who ascended into one of the league’s best through 2017 before hitting a sharp decline.
THE PARALLEL
The Vikings need multiple cornerbacks, and badly. Between Rhodes’ release and Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander‘s departure in free agency, Minnesota is undergoing a complete transformation at one of the game’s most important positions. The Vikings have tabbed a corner with their first-round pick three times since 2013, and it would be stunning if they didn’t do so again April 23… perhaps with another Florida product.
Former Florida Gators corner C.J. Henderson would fit the bill of a Zimmer protege. At 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, Henderson has size and strength, yet his 4.39 40-yard dash at the combine demonstrated uncanny speed. Henderson showed above-average ball skills with the Gators, notching six interceptions and 20 passes defended. Zimmer would have to be confident, however, that he can improve his tackling. The head coach was disappointed in the team’s perimeter run force last year, even with a stable of sure-tackling defensive backs. Henderson has a ways to go in that regard, but as we’ve seen with Zimmer’s corners in the past (i.e., Waynes), tackling can be taught.
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PICK 29 VIA TRADE, 2013
For Spielman’s final trick of the evening, he traded with the New England Patriots to secure another first-round pick, giving the Patriots Minnesota’s picks in the second, third, fourth and seventh rounds. The Vikings took Tennessee wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson, a raw talent with game-changing speed and elusiveness with the ball in his hands. The vision was to form a 1-2 punch with Patterson and newly-acquired wideout Greg Jennings.
Considering Patterson’s hefty price, his career was underwhelming. Though he looked the part of a star in his rookie season under Leslie Frazier, his lack of attention to detail frustrated Zimmer and the next coaching staff. Patterson was benched for much of 2014 and 2015, only to reemerge in 2016 as a serviceable third receiver.
Patterson’s greatest value always lied in his kick returning ability, which earned him Pro Bowl nods in 2013 and 2016.
THE PARALLEL
The 2013 Vikings mistakenly thought they were a couple pieces away from a deep playoff run and seemed to take an all-in approach to the draft. In reality, Christian Ponder‘s quarterback play wasn’t close to good enough, while the team’s pass defense finished last in the NFL. Giving up four picks for Patterson, in retrospect, was a difficult move to swallow.
Taking into account that Spielman is faced with clearer roster holes now than he was seven years ago, it’s hard to imagine a four-picks-for-one trade that could rob the Vikings of their Day 2 picks.
Minnesota does have an extra third-round compensatory pick for losing Richardson the offseason before, however, and the Tennessee Titans at Pick 29 could be interested in amassing more draft capital since they lack a fourth- and sixth-round pick. Let’s play it out and say the Vikings made the same trade with Tennessee that they made with New England. That would move Tennessee up to a satisfactory 10 total picks and leave the Vikings with a third, fifth, two sixths and two sevenths, giving them nine for the draft with the ability to acquire more.
So which receiver would be coveted at 29? If we’re going with a Patterson comp, it has to be Colorado’s Laviska Shenault Jr. At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, he is virtually the same size as Patterson, and when you see him with a helmet on, the two bear a striking resemblance. Their playing styles are also similar. Shenault isn’t so much a special teamer, but he’s at his best with the ball in his hands. Shenault took 40 carries over the past two seasons and scored seven touchdowns, often out of Wildcat sets. Scouting reports on him speak to a physically gifted freak athlete that lacks refinement in the details.
Sound familiar?
The Vikings may not want to take another swing at a Patterson type, but Shenault has athleticism that a creative offensive coordinator should be able to utilize. Is he worth a boatload of draft picks? That’s up for debate. The 2013-to-2020 parallel may have to end after Pick 25.
