Minnesota has some positional needs, and some of those needs could be rectified by trading back and acquiring more draft picks.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that some executives believe that Minnesota is primed to move back in the draft.
Despite the temptation for the Vikings to move back in the first round, I don’t think it’s the best option for the team.
Sure, adding more talent sounds great on the surface. The Vikings have their share of holes, but the team has to make sure it is filling those holes with top-tier talent, players that can come in and start right away.
Moving back in the draft runs the risk of the team not finding ideal talent at positions like corner, wide receiver and offensive tackle. Granted, I think the team could find a talented wideout later in the draft then the first round.
But past the 25th pick for either cornerback or tackle? I think that’s a little risky. The likes of Jeff Gladney, Jaylon Johnson or Kristian Fulton could fall to the Vikings at No. 22. But past that point? It’s hard to say.
What if Minnesota trades back thinking one of those guys will fall, then a team snags them in the second round before the Vikings get the chance to draft them? I think 12 draft picks is good enough to find the necessary talent in the draft, and trading back makes it so that the players the Vikings value the most might be gone by the time it’s their turn to pick.
That said, if a trade blows the team away, I could see them doing it. But I think it would have to be an asset on par with Trent Williams or someone else who could come in and fill out a need for the Vikings. Other than that, I just don’t think they should do it.
Not only that, the team still has a little over 12 million in cap space, per Over The Cap. That cap space makes it so that the team can find a very good reserve or a somewhat decent starter to sign, which is more of a sure thing than a pick at a later time in the draft.
Two first-round picks, 12 total draft picks, four picks in the top 100 of the draft adds up to the Vikings not having to be conservative when it comes to trading picks this week.