It's okay if the Vikings don't trade down in tonight's NFL Draft
After hitting a home run in the first part of free agency, it’s time for the NFL Draft. The Vikings currently have just four selections and the expectation is that they will try to trade down and acquire more picks. It certainly makes sense, especially given the overall thought that there’s more depth than star talent available from the college ranks this year. Yet just because something makes sense on paper doesn’t make it the right thing to do.
The Vikings added two offensive linemen, two defensive linemen and re-signed Byron Murphy Jr in free agency. They also traded for a running back. There are areas that can be addressed but the beauty of it is that there’s no reason for the Vikings not to take the best player available. Yet while there’s no pressing need to draft one particular position, my opinion is that the club’s biggest need is on the offensive line, someone to play left guard.
Another thing falling in the Vikings’ favor is that the best player available when they pick at #24 is likely to be an offensive lineman. In fact, the Vikings may have their choice of three top guards when it’s their turn to pick.
Of course, we never really know how the draft is going to shape up. Who thought Dallas Turner would still be on the board at pick 17 this time last year? If the draft shakes out that the guards are gone and the best players available are a quarterback, running back and wide receiver, there’s no reason not to trade down. Assuming that there’s a party willing to trade up and pay a reasonable price.
Still, my hope is that the Vikings keep the pick.
People lose their mind about the club only having four picks. Yet is it really that bad? The Vikings are coming off a 14-win season and they addressed their biggest areas of weakness in free agency. While it’s true that it’s better to build in the draft than free agency – you end up with a younger and cheaper team that way – it can be easier to build a club with the veterans who’ve already made their bones in the NFL.
Last year, the Vikings had a great free agent class, bringing in – among others – Blake Cashman, Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. All three of those were impact players, ones who performed even better than expectations. This year the Vikings fortified the offensive line with Will Fries and Ryan Kelly and the defensive line with Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. There are injury questions here – recall that none of the big three free agent signings a year ago made 17 starts before joining the Vikings, either – but the club believes in its medical staff and performance specialists to keep players as healthy as possible. If those four newcomers play in a majority of this season’s games, they’ll provide a major upgrade.
Yet while the Vikings have so many veterans from both free agency and their own players drafted years ago, it’s not like there’s no youth and no upside on the roster. The team received very little from last year’s two first-round picks, something that should change significantly this season. They’ve already received standout performances from youngsters Jordan Addison, Ivan Pace and Will Reichard. And they have numerous developmental prospects on both sides of the ball, including Michael Jurgens, Dwight McGlothern, Gabriel Murphy, Bo Richter, Levi Drake Rodriguez and Walter Rouse, among others.
Pace, McGlothern, Murphy and Richter were all non-drafted free agents signed by the club. There’s no reason to believe they won’t be able to add useful players via this route again this season. Not every youngster needs to be a drafted player.
It’s fun to be a team like the Eagles or Lions, ones that have really built their squad thru the draft over the past few seasons. It’s just that it’s not the only way. Besides, if the Vikings trade down and get extra picks, those are likely to be middle rounders, ones offering more depth than star power. The Vikings’ best chance at getting an impact player is to stay at 24 and hit on their pick.
Assuming they don’t trade down, my hope is that the club exits the 2025 Draft with a left guard, nose tackle/DT and two players who can make an impact on special teams. Regardless of which players they wind up with, there’s little chance that the drafted players will make more of an impact than the free agents the club signed.
And that’s okay.