Vikings

Positions the Vikings Could Trade for During the Draft

Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Vikings head into this week’s NFL Draft with a plethora of picks. They have 12 total selections and have plenty of holes to fill with those choices.

The draft this year is stronger at some positions than others, and depending on what areas the Vikings choose to address first, they may not find value at certain positions when they finally get around to addressing them. If that does happen at a position they were hoping to land a starting quality prospect, they could look to swing a deal with another club.

Here are four positions the Vikings could trade for during the 2020 NFL Draft:

Guard 

The Vikings had a need at guard prior to the start of free agency this year. Pat Elflein struggled mightily in 2019 and many figured the Vikings would look to bring in a fairly high draft pick to compete with him and Dru Samia for that job.

Then the Vikings did something no one saw coming. They cut their second-best offensive lineman, Josh Kline. This turned a moderate need into a major one and bumped guard way up the needs list.

Here’s the problem though: the Vikings have areas that will have to be addressed before guard.

They need a cornerback, wide receiver, safety and a left tackle of the future. That could push taking a guard down into the middle rounds. At that point of the draft, there likely won’t be a prospect on the board who could compete for a starting job in Year 1.

If that is the case, the Vikings could call around the league and see if they can move some late choices for a veteran guard who could come in and supplant Elflein as the left guard, or compete to be the Vikings’ right guard in 2020.

defensive tackle

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The Vikings are set at defensive tackle when it comes to run stuffers. They have newly acquired Michael Pierce, Shamar Stephen and Jaleel Johnson.

It’s at that three-technique interior pass rusher position that the team is paper-thin. Stephen played the position ineffectively last year, and the Vikings do have the promising Armon Watts, but behind them, there’s nothing but question marks.

The Vikings could surprise and use one of their first three picks on this position. Fans need to remember that Mike Zimmer’s defense is predicated on pressure up front, and while it hasn’t been a popular pick in mock drafts recently, the team could grab a Ross Blacklock or Neville Gallimore early in this year’s draft.

If they opt to address other needs first, they could find themselves in trouble.

This defensive tackle class isn’t very deep and if they wait beyond Round 3, they likely won’t be able to land someone who can help this upcoming season. If that comes to pass, they’ll need to call around and see if they can find an interior penetrator in a trade.

The Vikings have the picks to land a low-level starter and someone who can at least rotate with Watts on passing downs.

defensive end

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The Vikings have an exciting duo of starting defensive ends. Danielle Hunter is easily one of the best defensive ends in the league. Not only is he an elite-level pass rusher, but he’s also extremely good at defending the run. Across from him is Ifeadi Odenigbo, who is poised for a breakout season.

The light finally came on for Odenigbo last year, and he impressed with seven sacks and made some plays that turned games around for the Vikings.

The problem is the overall depth.

The Vikings signed Eddie Yarbrough before the playoff game with the 49ers last year and he has little experience. This off-season they brought in Anthony Zettel. Zettel has only had one productive season in his career and that was way back in 2017 when he played for the Lions.

If Hunter or Odenigbo gets hurt this season, the Vikings are in major trouble.

The Vikings do have bigger needs than defensive end, but it is still a position they could address in the first three rounds. If the second day of the draft ends without them adding a pass rusher, they could look to make a trade with a team during the draft’s third day.

The problem with the defensive end class this year is that it gets thin pretty quickly.

There aren’t many prospects after Round 3 who can come in and have much more than a situational role. If that happens, the Vikings will have to call around and see if they can find a backup who would be a step up from both Zettel and Yarbrough.

WIDE RECEIVER

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Twitter was ablaze last week with the rumors that the Vikings were going to trade for Browns superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

Those rumors were ultimately shot down by both teams, but where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

The Vikings are widely considered to be in the market for a wide receiver with one of their two first-round picks.

Their receiving corps was already thin prior to the Stefon Diggs trade. While they did well in bringing in Tajae Sharpe, they simply need more talent and depth here.

The team could choose to not draft a pass-catcher in the first round and wait because the class is so deep. If they go that route and don’t like the options on the board when they are on the clock with the 58th pick, they could give the Browns a call.

The compensation reported in these rumors was only for a second and fifth-round pick. While that reported price may not be correct, it would definitely be worth it.

Beckham would be light years ahead of any receiver on the board at that point of the draft and if the Vikings could make his contract work, maybe something could happen here.

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