With the second overall pick in the NFL Draft, the Washington Commanders have the ability to change the future of not just their own team but also a different one if they choose to trade the pick. The Minnesota Vikings are a team that might be willing to move up for the Commanders’ second-round selection.
The Vikings may require a new starting quarterback if Kirk Cousins decides to sign a free agent. What would the terms of such a trade be?
With Justin Jefferson, the league’s best wide receiver, and Minnesota’s eleventh choice in the NFL Draft, Jefferson will soon have to decide whether to sign a long-term agreement with the team after his rookie contract is set to expire. With Jefferson, the Vikings should be more motivated to acquire him a quarterback in order to fulfill his potential and maintain his happiness, given his generational talent.
Unfortunately for Minnesota, by the time the team selects No. 11, the four quarterbacks who are generally regarded as the best: Blake Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, and J.J. McCarthy. Therefore, the question becomes what the organization is prepared to give up in order to select second overall.
The Vikings, unlike most teams drafting around the top 10, are uniquely positioned to contend now with the team’s current roster. A receiving core comprised of Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson is one of the better situations that any young quarterback could be paired with. Not to mention that the team has some good pieces on the offensive line and a good offensive mind in head coach Kevin O’Connell.
Just a year ago, Minnesota won the division, and the biggest difference this year was that the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers were leagues above them; it was that early on in the season, the Vikings had issues with fumbling and then not only did Cousins suffer a season-ending injury, but Jefferson missed multiple weeks as well as the team fell out of playoff contention down the stretch.
Related: Rivera Reveals Thoughts on Commanders’ QB Draft Options
Considering all of that, there’s a chance that Minnesota’s front office still believes this team can win both now and in the future, considering how young its receiving core is if it drafts the right quarterback. For that reason, it could look to package the No. 11 pick to land a prospect it’s not accustomed to getting, considering that the organization has a winning culture and has only drafted in the top 10 once over the past 12 years.
To move up nine spots, it likely wouldn’t be cheap for the Vikings and would cost a lot of this year’s draft capital because Washington is aware that this is likely the earliest the team would be picking for some time.
A trade for the second overall pick could involve two first-rounders, a second-rounder, a third-rounder, and a fourth. In last year’s draft, the Chicago Bears moved up from No. 9 overall. The Bears gave the Carolina Panthers its 2023 first-rounder (No. 9), 2023 second-rounder (No. 61), 2024 first-round pick (No. 1 overall), 2025 second-rounder, and Pro Bowl-caliber No. 1 receiver D.J. Moore in his prime.
Hypothetically, this trade would cost Minnesota its 2024 first-rounder (No. 11), 2024 second-rounder (No. 43), 2024 fourth-rounder (No. 109), 2025 first-rounder, and 2025 third-rounder.
Related: Why Commanders Should Draft Maye Over Daniels
Even if the Vikings offer this, the team would still have six draft picks remaining between rounds four through seven this year, and the Commanders would have 11 picks in this year’s draft and eight in 2025. This would allow new general manager Adam Peters, who helped build the San Francisco 49ers into NFC Champions, to get new head coach Dan Quinn back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2017 with the Atlanta Falcons.
Trading back might not be the most exciting thing for Washington fans to witness. However, an eleventh-overall pick is still highly valuable when the right person makes the selection. Peters very well may be the man the Commanders need to rebuild the roster and get back into the Super Bowl for the first time in 33 years.
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