Every year, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell creates a mock draft of the first 32 picks, where every pick is a trade.
OK, so it’s almost a certainty that in the actual NFL Draft this season, there won’t be that many first-round trades.
However, some of the trades Barnwell lists for the Vikings seem viable for the team, so maybe one of them could work if Minnesota wanted to make a move in the draft, it could do it in one of these three ways.
Moving up to get a better pick
The first one he listed was one with the Atlanta Falcons. The Vikings give up the first-round pick at No. 22, and two third-round picks. The price to move up just six spots in the draft seems a little high to me. However, Barnwell thinks the Vikings could do it to take Florida corner CJ Henderson, which would make sense.
Grade: C+
A blockbuster deal where the team lands Trent Williams
The second trade is more enticing. Minnesota takes part in a three-team trade where the Vikings give up Riley Reiff and Anthony Harris, for cornerback Desmond King and a fourth-round pick from the Chargers and Trent Williams from the Redskins.
If that actually happened, it would be a blockbuster deal, where Minnesota can land a premier tackle. Harris is a big loss, but the team could replace him in the draft, and pair the new rookie with Harrison Smith back deep. Not a bad deal for the Vikings in my opinion, despite the level of Harris’ play.
Grade: B+
Moving back and adding wideout depth
The third and final trade Barnwell suggested in relation to the Vikings is one where they make a deal with the Carolina Panthers.
Minnesota gives Carolina the 25th pick, and a fourth-rounder, in exchange for a second-round pick, a fourth-round pick and wide receiver Curtis Samuel. I think it’s a smart move for the Vikings to try and move back when they have as many positional needs as the team does, but is Samuel good enough to replace a lot of production that Stefon Diggs leaves behind? I’m not sure. Minnesota might be better off drafting a rookie to fill the second wide receiver spot, but maybe Samuel is a depth player for them,
Grade: B-
