4 trades Vikings need to make to keep pace with powerhouse Lions

What was once a picturesque start to the Minnesota Vikings season as they sat atop the NFC North and conference standings at 5-0 has now suddenly taken a turn for the worse. Following their first defeat of the year in a heartbreaker to the rival Lions that gave Detroit the division lead, they came off the short week and fell to the Rams, though not without some controversy.

Now 5-2 on the season, the Vikings are still well within playoff contention but the division could be slipping away. Detroit looks like a juggernaut with the win over Minnesota sandwiched between a pair of 38-point victories over the Cowboys and Titans, respectively. With the NFL Trade Deadline looming in just over a week, the Vikings have to be buyers and they have to make the right moves.

They almost certainly won’t be able to make every move on their wishlist but the Vikings trade targets should look something like this as they aim to retake the NFC North and make a run in the playoffs. These players would certainly help that cause if Kwesi Adofo-Mensah can get them to Minnesota despite the organization’s relatively limited draft capital.

Losing Christian Darrisaw for the season can’t be understated for how critical of a blow it is to the Vikings. He’s been one of the best offensive tackles in the league and one of the true stalwarts among his position group in the league. David Quessenberry is a capable veteran backup but addressing the line should now be of the utmost importance to Minnesota.

And someone like Carolina Panthers lineman Brady Christensen would make perfect sense given the Vikings situation. Carolina is going nowhere fast this season and is expected to be a massive seller at the deadline. A player like Christensen who is on the final year of his rookie deal at 28 years old could be the right marriage of low cost and effectiveness for the Vikings.

Christensen’s best attribute is his versatility having spent time at tackle, guard and center during his tenure with the Panthers. If Kevin O’Connell and the staff are confident in Quessenberry stepping in on the left side to replace Darrisaw, Christensen could serve as an ultra-valuable depth piece who can be shuffled around based on need, which is exactly what the Vikings could use in the wake of the injury.

Over the past couple of offseasons, we’ve seen the Minnesota front office make a concerted effort to improve the secondary with veteran additions like Stephon Gilmore, Byron Murphy Jr. and even Shaq Griffin. And the cornerback room under Brian Flores’ direction has had one of its better years. Against the Rams, though, we saw how much a lack of depth could hurt the Vikings defense down the stretch.

Therefore, looking to buy low on a player like Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II would be the perfect type of move for this organization. Newsome is in the fourth year of his rookie contract and Cleveland has already picked up the fifth-year option of the former 26th overall pick. But even with a win in Week 8, the Browns should remain in sell mode to try and reset the franchise from the Deshaun Watson debacle. Trading away Newsome could be part of that.

His 2025 cap number would make him an interesting trade commodity as the Browns could either aim to take a lower price in draft capital if the Vikings were to take on his money or they could opt to eat some of that salary. In either case, Adofo-Mensah would have flexibility to negotiate and add a player who, though he’s been in the midst of a down year, has overall performed at a high enough level to be considered a valuable addition on a better and better-coached defense in Minnesota.

The veteran construction of the Vikings defensive line has been a budgetary stroke of genius this season. Jerry Tillery, Harrison Phillips and Jonathan Bullard aren’t the type of players we’ll being telling our grandkids about when we’re bouncing them on our knees years and years down the line but they have been a solid force up front.

Much like with the secondary, the issues arise when you look at the depth Minnesota has on the roster. Seventh-round rookie Levi Drake Rodriguez and UDFA Taki Taimani are the only depth pieces on the defensive line right now, so targeting veteran Calais Campbell, even at 38 years old, would be well worthwhile.

Despite his age, Campbell has still been a monstrous presence on the defensive front. He’s the fourth-highest graded interior defender in the league according to PFF entering Week 8, still generating pressure as a pass-rusher and still stopping the run. With the Dolphins season seemingly circling the drain right now, the Vikings could take advantage of a team with no real need for the veteran and find an elite rotational piece at a reasonable trade price.

Particularly with Jordan Addison’s potential unhappiness (who knows what his cryptic social media post of “Free 3” actually meant), the Vikings could use another running mate for their star pass-catcher, Justin Jefferson. TJ Hockenson’s impending return will greatly help with that, sure, and Addison almost certainly will have his concerns quelled. But even with that, another ancillary option for Sam Darnold could help elevate the offense.

So why not eye a reunion with veteran Adam Thielen? The 34-year-old is currently wasting away, like Christensen, on the Panthers roster and spending the twilight of his career on a team that is only going to keep racking up losses. It’s been reported that Carolina could be selling off parts pretty aggressively and Thielen is among the most sensible options to be moved given his age.

Having said that, he’s coming off a 2023 season wherein he caught 103 passes for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns. He still has plenty left in the tank and could come quite cost-effective in any trade, especially after being held out in Week 8 due to a hamstring injury. But after spending nine seasons previously with the Vikings, he could come in and immediately diversify the passing game in a way that Kevin O’Connell would be drooling over given the avenues it could open up.