When the season started, most expected the Minnesota Vikings to end up as trade deadline sellers. Yet, by being just one of two remaining undefeated teams, the Vikings have landed squarely in the buyers category ahead of the Nov. 5 NFL trade deadline.
However, this year is different than in seasons past, mainly because GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is working with an extremely limited amount of draft compensation. Did you know the Vikings only have three selections in the 2025 NFL Draft?
While more could be on the way via the compensatory pick formula, which takes into account how many valuable players were lost and how many were signed, we won’t know if the Vikings are projected to get more picks until the offseason. For now, the Vikings are projected to pick up an extra third-round pick for losing Kirk Cousins. But that’s not set in stone.
So, knowing that the Vikings are tight on draft capital, let’s look at a few players who could upgrade the roster ahead of the 2024 NFL trade deadline if KAM’s willing to get even more aggressive.
Ameer Abdullah – RB/Return specialist
Minnesota Vikings trade: 2026 6th-round pick for Ameer Abdullah
A familiar face. No, Ameer Abdullah isn’t the savior who would help take a good Vikings team and make them into a great one. However, he has a versatile skill set that could come in handy if Aaron Jones’ injury lingers.
He’s a capable runner, pass-catcher, and kick returner. Right now, the Vikings could use help in all three areas out of the backfield and on special teams. Ty Chandler is still the top backup running back, but he’s been inconsistent thus far, averaging 3.9 yards per touch. Abdullah is averaging 4.7 yards per touch.
Plus, he averages 27.6 yards per kick return, which looks pretty good compared to Myles Gaskin, who averages 20 yards per return. Since he’s on a very affordable contract ($1.2M salary) and is in the final year of his deal for a Raiders team with three other running backs, Abdullah could likely be had for a very low price.
Breece Hall – Star RB
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Minnesota Vikings trade: 2026 3rd-round pick, 2025 5th-round pick
Would the New York Jets trade Breece Hall? Probably not, but no one really thought Robert Saleh would get fired in Week 6 either. Hall was selected 36th overall in 2022, and he had a strong rookie season, averaging 6.9 yards per touch. But he tore his ACL and meniscus in Week 7 and missed the rest of the year.
Last season, Hall racked up 1,585 yards from scrimmage (994 rushing, 591 receiving), but his yards per touch dipped to 5.3. This year, Hall’s taken another step back in a Jets offense that can’t find its footing. He’s currently averaging a paltry career-low 3.0 yards per rush and 4.0 per touch when factoring in receptions.
The Jets drafted 20-year-old Braelon Allen in the fourth round and Isaiah Davis in the fifth. Allen’s already biting into Hall’s workload, receiving seven touches compared to 14 from the Jets’ starter in last Sunday’s loss. If the Jets’ season continues to tailspin out of control, it wouldn’t be ridiculous if Hall, who’s a free agent after the 2025 season, got traded for a bounty that’s too good to refuse.
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DeeJay Dallas or Devin Duvernay – Return specialists
Minnesota Vikings trade: 2026 6th-round pick for either DeeJay Dallas or Devin Duvernay
Who? Yeah, we get it. No one pays attention to special teams, especially since roughly two-thirds of each kickoff results in a touchback. When the Vikings play at home, that number goes up, thanks to the climate-controlled atmosphere at U.S. Bank Stadium, which helps kicks sail much further.
Yet, there are still times when players are forced to handle a kick or punt return, and the Vikings aren’t very good in this area right now. When Brandon Powell got roughed up, we saw Jalen Nailor come in and muff a punt against Green Bay, where the sunlight may have been a factor.
But even on the rare occasions when Powell and/or Myles Gaskin decide to return a kick or punt, the Vikings aren’t gaining many yards. Sure, part of the blame belongs to Vikings special teams coordinator Matt Daniels too, but that doesn’t mean the roster couldn’t be upgraded.
DeeJay Dallas and Devin Duvernay are only on their respective teams’ rosters for their special teams skills. They’re the Brandon Powell of the Cardinals and Jaguars. Yet, Dallas is the only player with a kick return touchdown this season, and he has the best yards per return average in the NFL at 34.5, compared to Gaskin at 20.0.
As for Duvernay, he’s a two-time Pro Bowler (and one-time All-Pro) thanks to his special teams skills, and he currently has the fourth-best punt return average in the NFL at 11.6. Powell is at 5.1 yards per return. It may not seem like much, but that could be the difference between getting in range for a game-winning field goal or beginning the drive in bad field position.
Daniel Brunskill – Versatile OL
Minnesota Vikings trade: 2026 7th-round pick for Daniel Brunskill
We don’t expect you to know who Daniel Brunskill is, so let’s share what we’ve learned. He’s a 30-year-old offensive lineman who’s played all five spots on the line in the NFL. He’s currently stuck as a backup on a one-win Titans team with an expiring contract. He has no future in Tennessee and likely would welcome a chance to play for a contender.
Brunskill has 79 games of experience, 56 of them as a starter, and he could even compete to start at right guard with Ed Ingram and Dalton Risner. At the very least, he’d be a top reserve capable of playing multiple positions in a pinch. He’s traditionally been better in pass protection than as a run blocker, and the Vikings could probably use some help in that area to ensure Sam Darnold stays as healthy as possible.
Jeffery Simmons – All-Pro DT
Brad Rempel-Imagn Images Minnesota Vikings trade: 2025 first-round pick for Jeffery Simmons and a 2025 fourth-round pick
We have an even bigger dream target scenario coming next, but this one may be a bit more realistic. The Titans aren’t going anywhere this season, they’re probably ending up with a top-ten pick, which could be used to find their next franchise quarterback. But they’d probably appreciate a chance to add two blue-chip prospects in the first round.
Would they be willing to part with arguably their best player to do so? That’s the question. Yet, the Titans may already be preparing for Simmons’ exit. They selected T’Vondre Sweat with the 38th overall pick, and he enters Week 6 as the sixth-highest-graded interior defender per PFF.
Meanwhile, Simmons is a 27-year-old, two-time second-team All-Pro. He hasn’t played in a playoff game since 2021 and may not fit Tennessee’s current competitive timeline. This could present them a chance to capitalize on his trade value now, helping them rebuild even quicker. However, he did just sign a four-year, $94 million contract last offseason and has a $16.5M salary this year.
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Still, he averages just over six sacks per season across the past four years, and he’s traditionally good at stopping the run, too. This year, he ranks 11th among all DTs who have played 20% or more snaps with a 10.5% run-stop rate. For a reference point, Harrison Phillips, as much as we love him, has a run-stop rate of 3.0%. Yet, Simmons also entered Week 4 with the NFL’s second-highest tackle-for-loss rate at 6.67%.
In other words, Simmons could help the Vikings stuff the run or chase after quarterbacks, and he’s stuck on a non-competitive team with an expensive contract. This could mean he’s available for the right price. Odds are, the Vikings won’t find a better player in next year’s draft if they’re selecting later than the 20th pick anyway.
Dexter Lawrence – Even better All-Pro DT
Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images Minnesota Vikings trade: 2025 1st + 2026 2nd-round pick for Dexter Lawrence
The Vikings’ defense has taken a leap this year in Brian Flores’ second season as the play-caller. From a roster-building perspective, this team is still seeking a game-wrecking player in the trenches. There’s no one better at disrupting plays in the backfield than the New York Giants’ 6-foot-4, 340-pound behemoth named Dexter Lawrence.
He’s a two-time second-team All-Pro defensive tackle with a history of ruining the Vikings’ day. Many still remember when “Sexy Dexy” racked up 14 pressures across two games at the end of the 2022 season.
He may not have gotten a sack, but you can bet Lawrence was a thorn in Kirk Cousins’ side. Yet, he’s already up to six sacks this season, ranking second in the entire NFL.
Lawrence is an excellent run-stuffer, but he’s arguably even better at creating interior pressure. It really doesn’t matter if he gets home for the sack or not, he’s still getting in the quarterback’s face and creating havoc. Just imagine how much more of an impact the Vikings’ edge rushers could have if Lawrence was frequently eating up two blockers along the interior.
It’s a total pipe dream. The Giants probably aren’t trading their best player, and Lawrence definitely doesn’t want to leave the Big Apple, he even has a tattoo of the Giants logo permanently etched onto his body. This guy’s probably a lifer, but that won’t prevent us from drooling about building the ultimate defense anyway.