The second round of the NFL Draft gets underway at 6 p.m. and the question for the Vikings is whether they make a trade to get into it.
The Vikings aren’t scheduled to pick until the third round, picking 87th having traded their second round pick to the Detroit Lions for T.J. Hockenson during the 2022 season.
There are still some intriguing prospects still on the board who have been linked to the Vikings, including quarterbacks Hendon Hooker and Will Levis, and cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
However, with the Vikings only having four picks remaining in this year’s draft, one each in rounds 3-6, they’re at a disadvantage when it comes to trading up compared to other teams.
A trade up from No. 87 to, say, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Pick 32, could mean parting with multiple picks this year and potentially in the 2024 draft as well.
Another option is including a player such as running back Dalvin Cook, whose future remains up in the air, with the Miami Dolphins – who have the 51st pick – rumored to be interested.
If the Vikings want to pull the trigger on a quarterback now, then they would arguably have few qualms about sending a bundle of picks to move up to take one of Hooker or Levis.
But the decision to take wide receiver Jordan Addison with the 23rd pick is arguably an indication that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell are addressing positions of need ahead of the 2023 season.
While the Vikings will eventually need a quarterback, they have Kirk Cousins for one more season at least, so it makes trading up for a quarterback less likely given the capital they would have to spend. Had Anthony Richardson not been taken by the Colts with the 4th pick, maybe things would have played out differently during the first round.
If the Vikings do move up, it could be the defense they’re seeking to address, taking one of the standout corners in this year’s draft in Porter Jr.
As for Levis, who many experts had predicted would be drafted in Round 1, don’t expect any moves from the Vikings, with The Athletic’s Vikings writer Alec Lewis saying on Thursday night that taking him at No. 23 wasn’t going to happen.
From the get-go, Levis wasn't in the cards at No. 23 for the Vikings. https://t.co/OhUVHnIEbn
— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) April 28, 2023
