The Minnesota Vikings have a ton of different needs to address over the course of the offseason. Notably, they have over $60 million in salary cap space to fill those holes before the NFL Draft occurs in April.
The Vikings can improve their roster in many ways. For starters, they have a massive hole in the secondary, with five of their top six defensive backs set to hit free agency. That doesn’t include the fact that they have to fill holes at running back, pass-rushing defensive tackle, and interior offensive line.
The interesting part of the discussion to fix these holes is going to come from how they go about their talent acquisition process. One key element could end up having a major impact on how they prioritize talent.
Vikings should trade down in NFL Draft
One thing that has become abundantly clear at the Senior Bowl in Mobile is that the talent in the NFL Draft this April isn’t as strong as it was in previous years. We’ve talked about this frequently, but it hits you like a ton of bricks when watching practice.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah has been talking more about the draft class as a whole and his latest take on it emphasizes that point.
What does this mean for the Vikings? It means trade down.
The Vikings currently hold the 24th overall pick and are projected to have just four draft picks come April’s annual selection meeting. Not having a ton of draft capital is brutal for the Vikings who are trying to build up the back end of a roster that second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy will likely captain the ship.
What is the easiest way to get draft capital? Make a trade. The Vikings are in a prime position to trade down, especially if a team wants to get a player that slides down the board who they value highly.
Will that happen in April? Getting more draft capital is something that should happen, but will the cost be right? Only time will tell.