The Minnesota Vikings’ process of determining the season-opening 53-man roster will begin next week as training camp begins. The majority of players who don’t make the roster will be placed on waivers or released.
But what about potential trades?
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s wheeling and dealing has left the Vikings with only three picks in the 2025 draft — a first-rounder and two in the fifth — and a projected compensatory third-round selection. Adofo-Mensah would like to get a few more late-round picks that would enable him the freedom to make some moves in next year’s draft.
So who could the Vikings try to shop before the regular-season opens? Here are four players who could potentially land the Vikings’ late-round draft picks.
Minnesota Vikings potential trade candidates
QB Nick Mullens
Coach Kevin O’Connell appears to be leaning toward having the 29-year-old Mullens open the season as the backup to starter Sam Darnold and allowing first-round pick and expected 2025 starter J.J. McCarthy to learn in the No. 3 role. This might happen, but O’Connell has made it clear he has a plan for McCarthy and goals for him to meet. So let’s say McCarthy checks off a bunch of boxes with his play in training camp and the preseason. Would the Vikings stick to the plan of Mullens being the backup or would they elevate McCarthy to No. 2?
If McCarthy impresses, they might decide that getting a conditional pick for Mullens wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Remember, the Vikings were desperate for a backup to Kirk Cousins in 2022 when they acquired Mullens from the Raiders for a 2024 seventh-round pick. A team will be just as desperate this summer and Mullens is a nice safety blanket.
OG Dalton Risner
The veteran signed a one-year, $ 2.4 million contract in late May to return to the Vikings for a second season. Risner ended last season as the team’s starting left guard and the assumption is he will find himself in that role again when the season opens on Sept. 8 against the New York Giants.
Don’t forget O’Connell has gone out of his way to praise backup Blake Brandel and the Vikings signed him to a three-year, $ 9.5 million contract this offseason. If Brandel impresses in camp, the Vikings could take advantage of a team that has an injury at guard in training camp and try to move Risner. Part of this would depend on how veteran guard and center Dan Feeney performs in training camp. Feeney has played for the Los Angeles Chargers, New York Jets and Chicago Bears in seven NFL seasons and started 65 games in that time. The Vikings would need a capable backup at guard, if Brandel was moved into the starting role.
S Lewis Cine
This might be a long shot, but it would be worth the Vikings’ time to explore this possibility. Despite being the Vikings’ first-round pick in the 2022 draft, Cine appeared to be at the bottom of the depth chart during offseason workouts and his roster spot is far from guaranteed. The Vikings will carry $ 5.4 million in dead money if they cut Cine. If he’s traded, that goes down to $ 1.4 million in dead money. There’s always a possibility a team could believe Cine could be a good fit for its scheme and want potentially three more years of control. Cine’s cap hit for 2023 will be $ 3.1 million. What appears clear is that Cine isn’t a fit for what defensive coordinator Brian Flores wants to do and everyone might be better off if he gets a fresh start elsewhere.
CB Andrew Booth Jr.
A second-round pick in 2022, Booth will open camp behind Byron Murphy Jr., Shaquill Griffin, Mekhi Blackmon and Akayleb Evans. Booth has appeared in 23 games over his first two seasons but made only two starts. He only played 13 percent of the Vikings’ defensive snaps this season and saw the majority of his time on special teams (28 percent).
Judd Zulgad is co-host of the Purple Daily Podcast and Mackey & Judd podcast at www.skornorth.com.
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