The Vikings will be buyers at the trade deadline, but how hard should they swing?

EAGAN, Minn. — One of the underrated aspects of the Minnesota Vikings’ start to the season is their locker room chemistry.

“Somehow, some way, with different egos and different backgrounds, we have enough players who are selfless enough to play their responsibility,” defensive tackle Harrison Phillips said last week.

The Vikings brass, in freely pouring in ingredients to build the 2024 team, emerged with a stew that has proven to be surprisingly flavorful. The question now, with two weeks remaining until the NFL trade deadline: What else could be added?

Something will be. That much seems clear.

Minnesota is not stocked with draft capital, especially in this upcoming cycle. As of now, the Vikings have just a first-rounder and two fifth-rounders. They are also likely to receive a third-round compensatory pick following the departure of Kirk Cousins. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah values future selections, but he has also been willing to part with them if the appropriate player and deal present themselves.

If the Vikings make a move, how aggressive should they be? Here are some thoughts on potential options, segmented by position and the level of swing:

GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah joined @PAOnTheMic earlier this morning to talk about the upcoming trade deadline, the team’s 5-1 start and the short week heading into the Rams game.

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— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 22, 2024

Interior defensive line

It’s fascinating to think about where the Vikings defense would be had the team added Christian Wilkins in free agency. Minnesota targeted him, but Wilkins signed with the Raiders, allowing the Vikings to reallocate money to players like Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Blake Cashman and others. Wilkins had been effective before suffering a fracture in his foot in Week 5.

Without him, the Vikings have not had a problem stopping the run or rushing the passer. They rank in the top 10 in opponent average yards per carry and pressure rate generated. Harrison Phillips, Jonathan Bullard and Jerry Tillery are three of the more unsung contributors to the success of this defense.

Why, then, would the Vikings go after another interior defender? The answer is twofold. First, you can never have enough depth, especially at a position where players like Phillips and Bullard have logged loads of snaps. Second, adding an interior defender who is more of a pass-rushing force would cover for when opposing teams — like the Lions this past weekend — tried to trap the Vikings in heavier personnel packages on pass-specific downs.

Typically, defensive coordinator Brian Flores swaps personnel to fit the situation, almost like a baseball manager utilizing left- or right-handed pinch hitters against different relievers. That’s harder to do when an opposing offense uses tempo and does not substitute.

Interestingly, Tillery has a higher pressure rate this season than Simmons, Tomlinson and Adam Butler of the Raiders. Simmons’ win rate is also down, according to Pro Football Focus. This is among the reasons the Titans could be willing to part with a star player. It would likely come at a steep cost, whereas a player like Tomlinson might be available for a late-round draft pick.

Maybe the most enticing name here is Campbell, the ageless wonder who at 38 has a higher pressure rate than even Dexter Lawrence II. Adding the former All-Pro to a defense already full of them (Harrison Smith and Stephon Gilmore) would generate a different level of fear in offenses. Because he is only under a one-year contract, the Vikings might not have to part with a premium pick, either.

Cornerback

The Vikings have used plenty of resources on cornerbacks in recent years. They drafted two cornerbacks in Adofo-Mensah’s first draft, another in 2023 and another this past year. In free agency, Minnesota has also spent on Byron Murphy Jr., Shaq Griffin and Gilmore.

All three have played admirably in 2024, constraining opposing offenses for the most part. Still, even though their experience and intelligence have allowed the Vikings to mix and match complex coverages more than last year, Flores has not been willing to leave them on islands in man coverage.

The Vikings played man coverage on 19.5 percent of their defensive snaps last season. This year, that number has declined, in part because Minnesota has leaned into different types of zones. In Miami, Flores played nearly 30 percent more man coverage snaps than he’s playing now, which is sensible considering the Dolphins had multiple elite corners in Xavien Howard, Byron Jones and Jevon Holland.

Trading for a cornerback like Jones or Lattimore would likely allow Flores to play more man, further constricting the space between receivers. A player like Newsome, whom Adofo-Mensah and many within this Vikings front office know well from their Cleveland ties, would add to the depth of a position group that is critically important to what Flores wants to do.

Guard

If you’ve read this space in the last few weeks, you know how leaky the interior of Minnesota’s offensive line has been. The pass protection unit is allowing the eighth-highest pressure rate in the NFL. That figure does not improve if you contextualize the pressures by a certain period of time, either.

Only four qualified guards have given up more pressures this season than Ed Ingram, and no center has allowed more pressures than Garrett Bradbury. It’s possible that Dalton Risner, who is practicing fully this week for the first time since suffering a back injury in training camp, could replace Ingram at right guard. How his presence affects the pass protection unit will be something the Vikings staff monitors closely.

Risner’s impact could lessen the need for an addition at this spot. But if he struggles at right guard or suffers an injury, the Vikings could explore this market. The most intriguing of these options might be Christensen, who is eligible to be a free agent after this season. He is versatile, having played both tackle, guard and center. In previous seasons, he has also proven to be effective both in pass protection and as a run blocker.

Davis is likely a long shot given that would require Bears general manager Ryan Poles to trade within the division, which is something that has not happened. Newman, meanwhile, is another depth option that would probably be more in line with what the Vikings have gotten from Ingram and could get from Risner.

(Photo of Ed Ingram: David Berding / Getty Images)