GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings have already been busy adding to their roster this year, acquiring Cam Akers and Cam Robinson in recent trades. More moves could come before Tuesday afternoon’s deadline, perhaps on the defensive side of the ball. And if Adofo-Mensah really wants to make a big impact, here are five players who would be worth trading next year’s first-round pick (and maybe more) to land. These are the kind of stars you acquire and then expand and make a big part of your future.
Note: Each of these should be considered very unlikely, especially lower down the list, but they are still fun to think about!
The Vikings saw firsthand how good Reed is when they played the Jets in London. The 6-foot-4 veteran is one of the stickiest cornerbacks in the NFL, ranking third in PFF’s rankings among corners with at least 200 snaps played. Opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of 63.8 when throwing to his coverage assignment. He is a legitimate No. 1 corner who is approaching his 28th birthday.
Reed is a free agent after this season and plays on a 2-6 Jets team that might want to consider going into rebuilding mode in the midst of a very disappointing season. If I’m the Vikings, I’d trade my late first-rounder for Reed and then sign him immediately. He’s so good.
Another option the Vikings could consider at cornerback is Horn, the No. 8 overall pick in 2021. He is still on his rookie contract and has a fifth-year option in 2025. Horn has been a very good player for Carolina when he is healthy, but injured. have limited him to 30 games in 3.5 seasons. He is currently healthy and producing at a high level.
The 1-7 Panthers don’t ideally want to move Horn, but that’s not out of the question. The Vikings, who have not been afraid to take on injury-risk players, could look to extend him and make him their No. 1 corner of the future. As a reminder, all three of their starters this season – Stephon Gilmore, Byron Murphy Jr. and Shaq Griffin – are pending free agents.
This one feels even less realistic, but can you imagine? Lattimore, a four-time Pro Bowler, is a shutdown corner who has allowed just eight receptions all season. He’s in the third year of a five-year, $97 million deal, so the Saints would end up eating a lot of dead money if they trade him, but they’re also 2-6 and not going anywhere. The 28-year-old would immediately give the Vikings’ secondary a major upgrade. His base salary is about $16 million in 2025 and ’26, which isn’t crazy.
Tennessee reportedly has no plans to trade Simmons, but Adofo-Mensah should check in with his friend Ran Carthon a few more times just to be sure (the two worked together in the 49ers’ front office). Simmons is exactly the type of devastating defensive tackle who could transform the Vikings defense and help take it to the next level. The two-time Pro Bowler had a somewhat slow start to this season, but he has returned to his old ways in recent weeks.
Simmons is in the first year of a big contract and won’t be a free agent until 2028, so the 1-6 Titans may want to keep him as part of their core. But the Vikings should offer next year’s first pick and a few other picks just to see if there’s a chance they can pry him away.
The great white whale of the Vikings trade deadline, at least from a fan perspective, is Lawrence. He is one of the very best players in the NFL and would take Minnesota’s defense from menacing to almost unstoppable. Lawrence has been one of the league’s most dominant defensive stars since moving to nose tackle in 2022 and leads all players with 9 sacks in 8 games this year. He’s incredibly good at what he does – and what he does is one of the glaring weaknesses of the Vikings’ roster.
But even with the Giants at 2-6, Lawrence is under contract through 2028 and seems unlikely to be moved. At the very least, it would likely take the Vikings’ next two first-round picks to get into the ballpark.
