The Vikings have 12 picks in the 2020 NFL Draft and two in the first round.
That’s a lot!
Much of that stems from the haul the Vikings got back from the Bills in the Stefon Diggs deal.
The Vikings will have the opportunity to make some moves in the draft, and Vikings GM Rick Spielman said that those conversations have already started.
“I’ve had calls already, opportunities of people trying to trade up, and I’ve also had teams that are in front of us that wanted to trade back,” Spielman said Tuesday via ESPN. “I think it all depends how the draft board unfolds on Thursday. For example, I would say if we stay at 22, and we have maybe seven or eight names still up there, to move back from 25 to gain another pick and still get the same quality of player. An example: Last year, we moved back three times in the third round and still had [Alexander] Mattison targeted and were able to still get him. A lot of that manipulation on the draft board depends on what’s up there, how you have the draft board stacked and how far are you willing to go back without risk of losing a particular player.”
If a player (maybe one of the top receivers in the draft) starts to fall, the Vikings have enough ammo to trade up. And if there are players who are all in the same tier available at the end of the first round, maybe the Vikings decide to trade back.
Among teams to be intrigued by on Thursday night, the Vikings might be at the top of the list.