Purple Insider - a Minnesota Vikings and NFL podcast - ESPN's proposed Vikings draft trades are.... interesting?!!?!

Episode Date: April 9, 2026

Matthew Coller and Chris Trapasso analyze a bunch of Minnesota Vikings NFL Draft day trades proposed by ESPN's Bill Barnwell. Plus they talk about De'Von Achane's potential availability and analyze Peter Schrager's mock draft that has the Vikings taking a different defensive back than expected. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

All right, Chris Trapasso, what is going on, my friend? We are only a couple of weeks away from the NFL draft. And I admitted to you off the air and I'll tell everybody else. I'm sorry to crack a little. It happens every year where the dialogue just reaches a point where we've sort of run out of stuff to talk about. And then it's, you know, last week is Ty Simpson really the best quarterback in the draft? And then it's, you know, a lot of other things and the box are flowing and everything else. It's like, okay, okay, I need.

to get there. I need to get there. But we still have some stuff to talk about, including should the Minnesota Vikings approach this draft with trades in mind. So that is what we are going to talk about. I have three trades that have been proposed by ESPN's Bill Barnwell that we're going to break down. Are they good ideas? Are they not good ideas? But I also want to begin in a place that you and I discussed a little bit at the NFL Combine when there was a Devin A. Chan rumor. He did not show up to his team's voluntary workouts, which may be a little bit of an indication where they stand. Also, Dexter Lawrence did not show up to their workouts. And ESPN's Adam Schaefter has reported that Dexter Lawrence wants to be traded.

So should the Vikings have any interest in using their little pile of draft capital to try to acquire either one of those players? I would say no. they're both really, really good. I mean, A. Chan, you could maybe convince me, and that is someone that is normally like just drafted running back in the fourth or fifth round every year. But the Frank Smith connection that you've talked about is very compelling.

The need for explosiveness out of the backfield is something that this team has not really had since Delvin Cook. I mean, Aaron Jones a little bit last season, but not Aaron Jones at 24, 25 years old when he was in Green Bay. So, but with Dexter Lawrence, like you mentioned, They don't have a huge pool of draft capital. They don't have a ton of money. Now, certainly Vikings fans have nightmares of what Dexter Lawrence did to the interior of the offensive line in that Daniel Jones playoff game a few years ago.

And he is the best pure nose tackle in football. They do have a need there. But I do think it is a pretty deep defensive tackle class. And even though Lawrence kind of stands alone among those mountains of men in the middle who can generate pass rush and be a good run defender, I think where the Vikings are necessarily with their cap space and the draft picks, I would say no. But you can convince me day two or certainly an early day three pick on A Chan because I think he is the exact type of running back that they need.

And we talked about it, I think a few weeks ago, he's like not 28 years old and he has not gotten like 1,500 carry. So he is reasonably fresh leg for someone that we know can be a productive home run hitter in the NFL because we've seen him do it in Miami. What I don't fully understand about the Miami Dolphins, and I really like it like what they're doing. Tear down that whole roster. It didn't work. You didn't get where you were supposed to be with Tua on his rookie contract.

You messed up. So now you're trying to fix it over multiple seasons by taking it all down to the bottom. Why would you keep someone who's not going to stay with you in Devon A. Chan and is very good at football? I mean, are they hoping that he gets in there with Malik Willis? He averages five and a half yards per carry next year. And then he's like, oh, actually, I would like to be a Miami Dolphin for the rest of my life. That seems kind of unlikely based on where that team is at and the way everyone's talking about where they're going to finish next year and, you know, rebuilding that team from scratch. And then even if you do two years down the line, build a great team through the draft if you're the dolphins, then Devin A. Chan has kind of missed some of his best career season.

so it makes entire sense to trade him. It also makes sense for the Vikings to throw one of their third round picks at that because if you were going to draft in the third round, Emmett Johnson, who I really like and or Jonah Coleman and those types of guys, I mean, there's a good chance they become quality NFL running backs. There's not a great chance that they lead the NFL in 10 plus yards runs and average six yards per carry like Devin A. Chan has proven already to have the capability to do.

Now, you will have to pay him, But next year, Aaron Jones is a free agent. Also, Jordan Mason is a free agent as well after next year. So the money you're spending on those guys could go to Devin Achan. We'll see if anything actually materializes there. They have said that they don't want to trade them. But that's exactly what a team who wants to trade them would say. When it comes to Dexter Lawrence, it's so complicated for me, Chris, because I feel like a little bit of a moth to flame with this, where I have seen this man do.

horrifying, disgusting things to the Minnesota Vikings in the best possible footbally ways, just throw bodies, but also have like a quickness that makes no sense for a gentleman of this size. And a lot of people have put it in different ways, but he is outpacing every other player who's similar to him in terms of pressure from that position by like triple, quadruple. Jordan Davis barely ever pressures the quarterback. He's got five times fewer pressures than Dexter Lawrence and he's making actually more money than Dexter Lawrence. He is a player that I think is worth $30 million, but I also have a tough time figuring out the logistics. Like do I want Dexter Lawrence? Uh, yeah. But how do I actually get to Dexter Lawrence? That's where it's very complicated

for the Vikings. 100%. And just to kind of spin this to the draft angle, three running backs that I could see, it just popped into my head, Frank Smith being into that are similar-ish, To Devon A-chan, they're not the caliber of prospect that he was coming out of Texas A&M. I think we've talked about a few. DeMond Claiborne from Wake Forest. Robert Henry from UTSA and Seth McGowan from Kentucky, who Seth McGowan is one of the older, like he's already 25, I believe. Or he turns 25 in April, like later this month, something like that. But super explosive, ran sub 4-4, and they're not super elusive.

Like I think A-chan has gotten to be not just a slug. but have that breakaway speed. So it's something where maybe the Vikings are talking, hey, like what could we offer the dolphins? We know, like you mentioned, the dolphins would be down to trade him. That's exactly what they're going to say before they trade someone. But if we don't, and like if we can't make that and swing that trade,

Claiborne, and Seth McGowan are the three that I could see, maybe not with a third rounder, but with one of the day three picks, say, hey, we just need some juice. and we actually trust that Frank Smith can incorporate some of the Mike McDaniel complexities in the run game that can scheme open those running lanes on the front side of the inside zone or outside zone to hit those home runs that have really been lacking in the

Vikings offense for a while now. It's a little bit of the struggle for me about day three of this draft where when everyone's talking about how, yeah, day three guys last year would have been easily third rounders in this year's draft at the running back position. It's like, man, if you get to day three, how far are you down on this list for good running backs? And they just had Ty Chandler, who is one of the most explosive running backs that I can remember playing for the Minnesota Vikings.

And he never played because he wasn't actually good at being a running back. So that's what I'm trying to keep in mind when processing this. And why you would trade for a proven guy is that you know he really fits in this system. You know what his capabilities are. And again, he's not very old. But let's let's dive into these Bill Barnwell trade ideas because there's one of them. that I think is really good. And then there are two of them that I might not be so sold on.

So I'm going to read them to you. And then the first paragraph of what Barnwell wrote. And then we can get your breakdown. So let's start with the first one. He has the Minnesota Vikings sending Jonathan Grenard, the 18th overall pick, and number 97 for the ninth overall pick to the Kansas City Chiefs. And Felix Anadukee Uzama, who has not been. been a great NFL player by any means.

And here's what he writes. We've heard the picking ninth gives the chiefs a rare chance to address the critical positions on their roster with a premium pick. And that's true. What if they do that in a relatively unconventional way? George Carlaftus has settled in as a solid starter. And Chris Jones' impact hasn't dipped as much as his statistical production suggests. But the chiefs would love to come out of this draft with an impact edge rusher.

They might as well be a tad. they might be just as well a tad too low to land that player at number nine if the board goes as expected. So 1897 and Grenard for the ninth pick and we could just throw out the player because that guy is not doing anything. So what do you think of that trade idea, Mr. Trappaso? So Felix and Udke Uzama is one of those that a lot of people liked, including myself. I remember him being very well liked among the draft community. And like you said, he's like done like nothing. Like he's really not done much in the NFL.

And he's been outplayed by George Carloptoz, who was a late first round pick. I think like the year before that. So I mean, maybe you could feel like with Brian Flores. There's certainly upside there. I mean, relatively speaking, he's not 21 years old. He was one of the younger prospects in that class out of Kansas State. I do remember that. So there is a little promise to it.

I do wonder like at pick nine, like who are we picking? Like to me, when you were suggesting these trades, like, who do they need to get at nine? Where I've been much more, and this is probably just because this is where my normal philosophy is much more all about a trade back. And we've gone over so many of those draft sims where we're like, oh man, there's like seven guys we like here. Let's trade back like six spots. And we know we get one of them. If you're trading up for what, like an edge rusher or one of the, I mean, not one of the safeties necessarily, a corner potentially.

That's just why I don't love this idea. And you're not getting like kind of a young, blossoming player that's maybe in a crowded room that you feel really good about. I always think of totally different conference. But I always think of Nick Herbig in Pittsburgh that there's T.J. Watt, there's Alex Highsmith. And like whenever Herbig plays, he's really good. And when Alex Highsmith or T.J. Watt had been injured,

you're like, oh, man, Nick Herbig, it's not that kind of player with, Felix and Udeka Uzama. So that's part of the reason why I don't absolutely love this return for the Minnesota Vikings. Yeah, when you're talking about trading up to number nine, you would have to have a very, very good reason to do so. And I could think of a couple. I mean, number one would be if Jeremiah Love were to get there. I have a hard time thinking that that guy is going to get there because if you look at,

I mean, Washington, why would Washington not pick that guy? There's too many teams. There's too many teams in front of nine. Exactly. We've talked about Tennessee. And I know there's some reports out there that are like, no, no, Tennessee is definitely not doing that. I don't know about that because the thing about drafts is you can think you've got it all resolved from the outside. But you never know, and you know this story when an owner can drop in and say, no, actually, we're drafting this player. And maybe you recall the Willis McGehy pick is famous in Buffalo. Because the owner, Ralph Wilson at the time, apparently just walking. into the draft room and said, I want the kid from Miami. And they were like the one who just tore his knee apart. Um, sir. Could you?

And it was like, no, no, no. We're just, we're drafting Willis Begay. And everyone went. So, and, uh, Dan Snyder apparently made the first round draft pick for Washington many years in a row. The whole point just being that you never really know what's going to happen. I, I have a tough time believing that Jeremiah love the top runner and probably the most spectacular playmaker in this entire draft is not.

going to get taken there. But we never know. So if he were to get to nine, then you could start to sell me on this. When it comes to trading Grenard, that's a lot about the cap space. And there are still free agents and trade opportunities that are out there. So you're trading not only Grenard away, but you're getting a move up. That's the main part of it. And you're getting his cap space. And you're getting cap freedom for the future. And the reality is that the higher you draft, the better chance you have to succeed with that draft pick. So if you are getting someone in the top 10, let's say it's Mansour Delane, who we haven't even really talked about because my assumption has been that he's going to be off the board, but he's the best cornerback in this entire draft.

Maybe you're looking at it like, we haven't had a franchise corner since Xavier Rhodes. And he hasn't been on this team since 2019. So it's been a long time. Delane could potentially be that. Let's move up. I know that this is a small thing, but my issue really with this trade is number 97. I don't really want to give up another top 100 draft pick if you're already trading a top-notch edge rusher who's in the second tier behind the grates as an edge rusher and your 18th overall pick to move up. I don't really want to toss that in. And, you know, Felix, I'm sorry, man. That just hasn't worked out.

So that's just a body. That's like a camp body. That's not a player who's going to contribute anything. So I'm kind of like my sticking point on this trade is I like. 18 from 18 to 9 and moving Granard because you get the benefits of the cap situation. I just don't like losing another potential starting caliber player if you're drafting in the top 100. 100%. And like that was part of why I didn't love it either. I'm glad you said that. And to throw another bill's old story into it, I vividly remember when the bills moved up to get Josh Allen,

the first trade in 2018, they went from 20 to 12. I believe. And all they traded was Cordy Glenn, who was like a very, not a super good, but a starter at left tackle who had been good. So like they didn't trade Cordy Glenn plus their third to move, which would be a pretty similar jump from 18 to nine compared to 20 to 12. So I think, yeah, that extra third rounder, it's like this would seem a little bit lopsided for the Kansas city chiefs. Now obviously the Vikings would be trading up in this scenario. And again, if that Jeremiah Love is there, maybe the Vikings are like, hey, we will overpay to get that explosive player on a rookie deal, a Devon A-chan type player who can be better and be more

utilized in the past game between the tackles on the outside and get him super cheap. Maybe that's worth it. But that's part of the reason why I don't love it too. I want to be holding on to as many of those top 100 picks as possible. Okay. So I would do it for love and I would do it for Delane. And I know like that's breaking our, you know, rules about the running back position. But if you already wanted to trade Jonathan Grenard anyway and you can have that player in your backfield, I can justify it.

And Delane, I just think he's fantastic and is a CB1. So, okay, there you go. Is there anyone else? I only have one other player that I would say, okay, yeah, do it. And that would be if somehow, and I don't believe this is going to happen, somehow sunny. I was going to say, I was going to say, too. Okay. I mean, that's like just hand Brian Flores.

is the most Brian Floresi player that you could come up within this entire draft, then then I might be in. I'm looking at my horizontal board on my site, draft gradebook.com. And that's who I was zeroing in on. Like sunny styles is if Brian Flores could build a defensive front seven player, it's sunny styles. So like that would be one where and that could be something where we've heard all

this buzz and there's going to probably be a lot of mocks with him as the second pick, third pick, fourth pick over the next couple weeks. and maybe even into draft week, but definitely crazier things have happened. I'll use another bill story that's popped into my head. I remember the day of the draft in 2019. I don't remember if it was Jeremiah, Schrager,

I don't know if Schrager was doing a mock then. Post, and there was a lot of buzz that Ed Oliver was going to be the Jets pick, not Quinn and Williams. And I loved both of them, but I really was a big proponent of Ed Oliver because he tested ridiculously well,

like almost like Aaron Donald. And it was like, nope, he's not going to get to nine. There's no way. Sure enough, Quinn Williams was the first defensive tackle. And the bills got their guy in Ed Oliver at the ninth overall pick. So Sonny Stiles could be there. And he would be the other one where that would be like not the ownership coming in. But that might be Brian Flores literally, literally standing on the table and saying,

all right, let's go up and get this guy because the things that he could envision and the type of production on first down, second down and third down with Sunny Stiles is just absolutely insane. Both Christian Darrasaw and Justin Jefferson were projected in the top 12, 14 picks and ended up dropping to the Minnesota Vikings. You never know. On to our next trade. This one is purely draft picks. The Vikings trade for the 25th pick or they trade down with the Chicago Bears to get the 25th pick and the bears throw in the 60th pick. And the bears get 18 and then a fifth rounder from the Minnesota Vikings.

and here is what Barnwell wrote. He said, we don't necessarily see many trades within division rivals, but trades involving draft picks can represent an exception. The Eagles and Cowboys traded first round picks in 2021 in a deal that landed Devante Smith and the latter Parsons. I forgot about that trade. The Vikings moved down in deals. Everybody trigger warning here with the Lions and Packers in 2022,

although that was under the stewardship of Quasi Adafo Menza. It sure was. and it came up a few times on the show since then. It remains to be seen whether Executive Vice President Football Operations Rob Brzezinski would be as amenable to this sort of trade, but I do have the bears paying a bit of premium for the privilege of making a deal within the NFC North. So again, this one, Chris, is the Vikings trading down to 25.

They get number 60 and they throw in an extra fifth. How are we feel in there? I love this one. This is the polar opposite feeling. as opposed to that first trade. I am a trade down proponent. I literally have it in my Twitter bio still, trade down. Like that's just like a random phrase that I have in there.

And it's because not just because of the premise, not because that that's one of my core tenants, because we've gone through a lot of the draft sims. And again, maybe we don't know how it's going to work out. But even if we're completely off on two or three guys and Sunny Stiles is still there or Jeremiah Love 5 falls further, the safeties, the edge rushers, the corners, there are defensive tackles even. There's typically, even wide receiver,

there have been three to six or seven prospects that we really like. And we've like almost been just like flipping a coin multiple times. Hey, all right, Thineman this time, Sadiq this time, you know, to go super luxury with the tight end. I think trading down to 25, it seems like maybe a little too far, but to get pick 60 as well, like sign me up for that for a team that entered free agency, $43 million over the cap needs to get younger and needs to get that cheap talent on the roster. I really would like this type of trade for the Vikings, even though he did

mention that Quasi trade that did not work out. Part of the reason, obviously, Lewasin got hurt and never really materialized and Jameson Williams has turned into a thousand yard receiver. But just because that happened, I don't think you can't ever trade down again. So I actually like this one a lot, much more than that initial trade with the Chiefs. That was also 12 to 32, which is an enormous drop-off. That's a great call. Yeah. When you look at 12th overall picks historically, there's a lot of them that become

pro bowlers. You look at 32. It's, you know, one every, I don't know, 15 drafts or something becomes a top player. It's just a huge drop-off. And I always think the very back end, like those last couple picks of the first, are some of the worst to have because if they are the, key positions they have probably already been scooped up a lot of the best guys. And if they are, you know, the other positions, you're drafting and not getting the greatest

value for it and, you know, et cetera, et cetera. But back to this, 100% in. I don't think dropping down seven spots to pick up number 60 would be bad at all. In fact, I guess I would look at the Chicago Bears would be like, what are you doing there, giving up not only like a top 100, but a top, you know, well, number 60, top 75 pick. I mean, that is the type of draft pick where you expect to still be able to grab someone who could be a significant player for you. And as we've gone through this process, Chris, what we keep coming up with is they need players. There are so many guys in the future who are free agents who are aging out, who are expensive into 2027.

They need more dudes. And that might even just mean a good starter. Like Isaiah Rogers is going to be a free agent. He's not a megastar, but he's a good start. You need replacements like that that are on the cheap. So here's what I did. I ran the simulation on PFF and forced the trade. And it came up with the top player on the board is Avion Terrell.

We don't have to talk about the whole tackle thing again, but I'll just read you the best players on their board. Blake Miller, Cassius Howell, Caden MacDonald, T.J. Parker suddenly has my attention. Denzel Boston. Of course, everyone knows how much I like him. Caleb Banks, Peter Woods, Colton Hood, Casey Concepcion. Christian Miller. So those are, and Brandon Cise is also a guy who's been mentioned quite a bit recently,

as might surprise some people by being a higher draft pick than a lot of people expect. And even the same thing for DeAngelo Ponce from Indiana. But you are sacrificing some opportunity here. The guys that went in between were Akeem Messador, Omar Cooper Jr., Jordan Tyson, Emmanuel McNeil Warren, Caden Proctor and Caldric Falk, who I have been kind of recently sold on for the Vikings. So you are making a sacrifice there,

but I think there's still enough talent on the board where I would say, okay, yeah, absolutely do that to get another potential starter at 60. Yeah, that first list of players that were still available at 25, I liked like five or six of those guys, and could see them plugging in because like you said at the outset there,

the Vikings just need dudes. And like there's, they are not really in a, hey, draft for need. You have, you know, you're just a right tackle away. Draft Tristan Wirth's when you're the Buccaneers in 2020. You need a right tackle. Then you go to the Super Bowl. The Vikings are not necessarily, like I'm not insinuating that they can't be contenders,

but they are a team just draft the best available player in the first couple rounds and then maybe fill your needs on the third day. So in that scenario, yes, some of those names that you referenced going from 26 to 25, I really love the idea of Keldrick Falk, which I don't think we've talked about a ton. He's young, the pass rush moves, the power, the interior flex is great with him at like 6.5-275. But I would be totally fine with a lot of those players who were still available at 25. And what I've realized, and I haven't probably said enough this draft season, and not doing any mock drafts, which I've absolutely loved, I haven't had to let as many people know

on Twitter, like, guys, the draft is not just one round. Like if your team, if your team needs a receiver and you don't pick one, there's still the second round. So why I'm saying that, to get picked 60, that is a starter. That is someone that you expect to be a reasonable full-time player as a rookie and part of your build from here on out with this new GM. So we can't just only talk about who would be available at 25. We're also getting picked 60, which is still a very valuable selection in its own right.

Just out of curiosity before we move on to the next trade, where do you stand? I think I've asked you before, but I need an update on this. If they were to do something like this, I think it changes some of the math that we've talked about with defensive tackles. Like a lot of our discussion has been, hey, if the guy's just a run stuffer, then that's probably not the best use of your draft pick. But if you're trading down and getting another draft pick and the best player on the board is Peter Woods, for example.

the one reason I could be pushed a little bit on Peter Woods toward his side is that he's only 21 years old and he does have I think some upside maybe like he's one of those guys that has played pretty young in his career and I wonder if he could be more than just like a gap stuff or like would it would it allow you if you had another draft pick here or even a Caleb Banks would it allow you to take the risk because Banks feels very risky to me with the foot issue or or should it not change, you just take, you know, whatever. But if that's the best player and you don't love the value of just a run stuffer, but you did add someone else on the other side, you see where I'm going with this? And maybe it becomes a little more justifiable. Yes, that is the draft day navigation that I think the math needs to change for. And you need to understand like, hey, we didn't just draft a run stuffing specialist in round run.

We also got it's him plus pick 60 that we previously didn't have. So absolutely, I think that needs to matter. And it's funny you bring that up because I was doing some research because for some bill stuff that I was tweeting and some research that Peter Schrager had Caden McDonald, another 21-year-old nose tackle that I think was still available in that pick 25 scenario that that you referenced. He gave him to the bills in his most recent mock. And I wouldn't love it just, again, straight up if that was the bill's pick at 25. But if they were to like trade out or trade to, you know, 31 and do it, I would be fine with it. So the same thing would apply for Peter Woods. And what's also interesting, I did research today.

Since 2014, there have been 33 edge rushers that have been picked, or sorry, 33 defensive tackles who have been picked in the first round. The only players who have not had over 16 pressures in their final season, Jordan Davis is the only one currently. And if they're first rounders, Caden McDonald and Peter Woods. the reason that I'm a little bit higher, and this is very in a vacuum, just one specific thing, Peter Woods had 20 pressures as a freshman and a sophomore. Caden McDonald, in his freshman season, barely played zero pressures.

Yeah. Sophomore season didn't play that much, three pressures. So we're talking like you are full projection as a pass rusher. Peter Woods did it, 20 pressures and 20 pressures, then 15 pressures, got injured, didn't play quite as much in his final season at Clemson. With Caden McDonald, again, another unbelievable run defender at 21 years old. They're very similar type players. They just don't have that pass rushing productivity that I think you traditionally see in the

first round. And Vikings fans should understand from an NFC North perspective, Tyleek Williams was the lion's pick at pick 30, I believe, last year. He was older. He was more of a finished product, but was the same type where it was like, oh, you're getting a great run defender. And he had an okay rookie season. But no one really, like, felt his presence that much on that lion's defense that got gashed

down the stretch. So it's not really something that I would advocate for. But if you're getting that pick 60, then I could understand it because you're getting that kind of extra throw in with that tradeback. So I just, just to play out the entire scenario to see what we would do at 60. In the second round, I'm going to take Chris Johnson from San Diego State because he's on board and he is a great fit. So I'm going to take him.

So let's see what we could get at 60. we've got some very good wide receiver prospects here at number 60, which is always exciting for this show. Skyler Bell is on the board, which I think would be a good pick for them. Also, Bryce Lance. I'm a little bit intrigued by a couple of edge rushers that haven't gotten a ton of promotion.

Derek Moore from Michigan and Danny Dennis Sutton from Penn State, who I know you like. Home runs. You've got Antonio Williams here, Grayson Holton, Mike Washington. And this would also be, now I already took Peter Woods in this scenario, but Dominique Orange, the big citrus from Iowa State, who is a mongo nose tackle. He's here, Elijah Surat, Zachariah Branch. Like, there's a lot of talent here.

And, you know, now we might be reaching on some players. But let's just say with this spot, we end up with Skyler Bell. And so for your first three picks, you grab, you know, Peter Woods, Chris Johnson and Skyler Bell. home run right you're in pretty good shape so yes bill barnwell we would definitely do this i don't know if ryan poles would do this because you are potentially helping the minnesota vikings get more good players and even though yeah the vikings didn't do that trade with the lions if you were detroit you're like okay well we want this player we're making this big move we don't have to give up a future first so you know we're doing it i don't know if that's something that would apply all the time when it came to pick swaps

but maybe if they really, really want somebody at number 18. Yeah, I was trying to think like who that could be for for the bears. I mean, it's obviously just thought we're speculating about a hypothetical here, but maybe an edge rusher. Let's see on the sim. On the sim, it was, oh, no, on the sim, it doesn't make any sense. It was Kenyon Sadiq, so that doesn't make any sense. They wouldn't do that.

It makes no sense. But C.J. Allen was there, Caldric Falk, Emmanuel McNeil Warren. Probably be an ed rusher. Yeah, I mean, yeah, there's some. guys that yeah they probably would do they need defensive line help for sure and can you can you give me just because we don't look like i don't want us to go way too long because i have the tendency to push you longer on these episodes going back to that 2022 trade to go from 12 to 32 did quacy ever referenced why he was okay with moving back 20 spots what normally happens when it when a

GM trades back they're like at anywhere from like 18 to 22 and they move back maybe maybe sometimes out of the whole first round, but they moved back to 28 or 32 and they go, we were out of first round grades. Like to go from 12 to 32, which I'm sure you could dig up our initial reaction to the trade a couple years ago. But that's almost like something in hindsight where I like didn't remember that

they moved back that far when there was only 11 picks had gone off the board. Did they like hate that draft class? Like did he ever say that? Well, the after it was all said and done, I remember the most recent explanation. I do not remember the initial explanation, but the most recent one was that Quasi felt like when he looked a year or two in advance at the roster, that there were so many pieces after 2022 that were going to come off of the roster.

And remember, they would have thought that Harrison Smith wasn't going to be there. They did not know who Cam Bynum was. We only found out that Cam Bynum was good. Actually, in 2022, when he started playing all the time, they were look at the corner. cornerback position. You have none. You just have no corners. You had no guards really to speak up. They had as or Cleveland, but I don't think they thought he was very good. So, you know, they needed to. He wanted bodies. Right. He felt like, well, I can really stack a bunch of dudes here. And this is kind of what we're talking about a little bit, only moving down seven spots and not 20 spots. That's the difference. But it is a similar type of thought process. It's like you look one year down the road when you're back in 2022. They thought they were going to be tearing everything to the ground. And they actually kind of did. after 2022. So here's this next wave of young players. And in theory, that would have worked.

I also think, too, that they really just didn't stick with that draft class because those top picks are horrendous. But Ingram is still starting. I don't think he's good, but he's still starting. And there's a bunch of other guys that are on teams around the league that they just made very little effort to stick with and develop and be patient with. So, you know, there you go. Anyway, we got one more trade to look.

at from Barnwell here. And this one involves J.J. McCarthy. And I'm just going to just start off by saying this one's not going to work for me. This one goes 18 and 97 and J.J. McCarthy to the Los Angeles Rams of Los Angeles and the Vikings get the 13th overall pick. So 1897 and J.J. McCarthy. And here is the first sentence. You should go read the entire piece.

It's a lot of fun. it every year, but I'll just give you the first part, which says, we know general manager Les Sneed doesn't value picks in the bottom quarter of the first round, so the Rams aren't likely to move down very far if they do trade down. And while Sneed is obviously going to want to use his remaining first round pick to address the 2026 roster, there's also an argument to be made for trying to land his team's quarterback of the future. Matthew Stafford is 38 years old. He won MVP, but with any quarterback approaching 40, it's smart to have a backup plan. This is an absolutely no way, no chance, no-how, zero, uh-uh, not going to happen with the Los Angeles Rams for two

reasons. One, moving up to 13 versus 18 is not that compelling in this draft. Second of all, I am okay with the right J.J. McCarthy trade. I'm not giving him to the Los Angeles Rams. No chance. Am I giving Sean Freaking McVeigh an opportunity to develop J.J. McCarthy and come back and beat you in a playoff game someday. Uh-uh. If you're trading him, he's going to go to Arizona. Good luck, J.J. McCarthy.

Sorry, you're not a bad guy, but we're sending you somewhere where it ain't going to work. I mean, Jets, do you want J.J. McCarthy? I'm not giving him to Sean McVeigh. Are you out of your freaking skull? No way would I be thinking about that. I also think in this draft,

Chris, it's just hard to find a player where they'd be at 13. and I'm saying, oh man, I better give up that third rounder. I better make a move up to 13 because the guys we talked about that are worth tradeups are not getting there. Yeah, so I'm trying to play devil's advocate. So we're just not always agreeing because we have very like minds when it comes to football and the draft philosophies and all that team building. The only way that I would be semi okay with this and this could maybe spark your interest is if one of the perceived whether you want to call them big three, big four wide receivers is still there. Like if they, which, which I think a few of them will be, maybe not just if one is,

but if they like for whatever reason have, uh, let's say Jordan Tyson graded like way higher than the other three and they're like, oh man, he's not going to be there. And then he is. Or if they love Carnell Tate and they just want to go nuclear with the past game, uh, Justin Jefferson, Cornell Tate, Jordan Addison and just go, man, we are just going to hit the ground running with Kyler and just have this, you know, his offense that he had in college where he just has advantages at wide receiver everywhere. That's the only way that I would be okay with this.

Otherwise, I do tend to agree with you. Like, I don't think any team should be giving Sean McVeigh under the tutelage of Matthew Stafford, a young quarterback that does have natural talent in J.J. McCarthy just needs to be in a better situation and not start off on the wrong foot, like literally, like, with the injury that J.J. McCarthy had. So that's, I mostly agree with you, but I was thinking, like, who could this be for? because at the beginning of this draft process, to prove that I'm not just like overhyping the draft

so people get into these episodes, I'm like, this draft kind of stinks at the top. Like it's, I have one elite grade. And that's David Bailey, the Texas Tech Edge Rush, all the rest. I have a big clump in this like 13 to 40 range where you're listing off these guys at 18, at 25, at 60. I'm like, oh, I like him.

I like him. I don't have that, oh, man, go up and get Malik neighbors in this classic. There's not that type of guy. So if it were for Carnell Tate or if they love Mackay Lemon and think he's Amin Rassin, and they're sick of dealing with Amin Ross St. Brown in Detroit, okay. Other than that, it's a non-starter for me, just like it is for you. Okay, I want to get to Peter Schrager's mock draft, which always sends some ripples and waves through the drafting community because, you know,

Peter is pretty dialed in in the NFL universe. So I want to go through who he's got for the Minnesota Vikings. I'm going to ask you, Chris, a fan dual question of the day. And then I want you to think about it for a second while I give folks a message from ZipRecruiter. So here's the Fandu question of the day. The Vikings are currently plus 550 to win the NFC North. That is the fourth best odds out of four teams to win the NFC North. Where would you move them if they were to make a trade for one of the players that we mentioned at the top of the show, either A.C.

Lawrence, how far would you move them up in the NFC North? Hold your answer and we'll get to that in just a second. But first, a message from our friends at ZipRecruiter. You know, one of the reasons that Krista Paso is so great on this show is his passion for football. And if you're hiring, what do you want? You want passion in your candidates. But it's not always the easiest to find on a resume unless you post your job to Zip

Recruiter and now you can try it for free at ZipRecruiter.com slash audio. There are so many things that ZipRecruiter can do to help you find candidates who really want to take the job. Candidates tell you in their own words why they're interested in your job. ZipRecruiter's powerful matching technology finds the qualified candidates quickly. Add that together and ZipRecruiter has a new feature that shows you the most interested and most qualified candidates first. So you meet the right people faster. find candidates who really want your job on ZipRecruiter.

Four out of five employers who post on ZipRecruiter, get a quality candidate within the first day. Try it for free. ZipRecruiter.com. That is ZipRecruiter.com slash audio. Meet your match on ZipRecruiter. Okay. Now, your answer to the Fandoah question of the day.

So are you asking me like where I would put like what I moved him up to third or second or the actual odds? Because I'm not a big odds. I know you're not an odds guy. Would you, Would you move them up to third, second, or first? I would move them to third. I think ahead of the Lions.

And I think there's just a lot of competition in this really good division, but there's also some volatility. Like I mean, Jordan Love took a step, but they lost some pieces in free agency in Green Bay. The Lions took a step back last year. I want to see if Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams can continue that heavy momentum that they had down the stretch and into the playoffs. If you're getting Dexter,

Lawrence on this defense or you're adding a someone that like you've mentioned can be that explosive 10 plus 10 plus yard carry guy in A Chan. I think at least up to third would make a lot of sense to me. All right. Let's look at Peter Schragger's mock draft here. It starts out with a shocking first overall pick Fernando Mendoza. And then your guy, David Bailey at number two with the Jets. Arvel Reese goes to the Arizona Cardinals. I won't ruin this entire thing. But he does have Jeremiah love to the Tennessee Titans. which you and I have talked about, and I'm going to keep selling, that sometimes when a franchise really wins with a certain model in the draft,

like getting Chris Johnson, getting Eddie George, they will go back to it. So we scroll and we scroll. Washington ends up with Sunny Stiles. That's interesting. We got Jordan Tyson to the chiefs. And as we get to the Minnesota Vikings,

we find Chris, Emmanuel McNeil Warren. And the picks right after him in Roe Freeling, Akeem Messidor, T.J. Parker. So some good players there and Denzel Boston going number 23, one of my favorite players in the draft. But Emmanuel McNeil Warren here going, I believe, before Dylan Thineman. Right. Dylan Thineman does not go until 30, whereas it has been almost a foregone conclusion in the draft universe that Dylan Thineman is going to go in the top 20 and especially number 18. So what would you think if the Vikings selected Emmanuel McNeil Warren, the safety from Toledo?

So in a vacuum, I would like it. It would be like I have him graded right at the top of the second rounds, which I don't get crazy with that. Like if I have a guy graded at 29 and he's like the 20th pick, I don't think, oh, huge reach. I really like him. I think we talked about him as in one of the first podcast where we referenced it like safety is a pretty big need. but that caveat that you referenced, going ahead of Dylan Thineman, who I think has better ability to man up in just man coverage and has probably better just center field range than McNeil Warren, who can match up with tight ends and made a lot of plays in zone underneath intermediate level, but doesn't have that freaky Harrison Smith type range. If he's still on the board, I would be a little perplex by you pick that safety over that safety, but just, The player in a vacuum, I think he could absolutely work wonders in Brian Flores' defense.

And again, I've said it from the beginning. He was the max version of Nick and Manworry. And we know what Mike McDonald did with Nick and Manwry. Like they ran nickel and dime more than any other team in football. They could stay in their, that was really their base defense. And they wrote it all the way to winning a Super Bowl and had an elite level defense all season. So I would be okay with the player. I would be confused as to what they saw differently.

Maybe that a manwari prototype. but why they would pick him over Dylan Thinemann. They also didn't pick him and Warre last year. And he was on the board. And maybe that's one where today we say, I don't know, but I mean, no disrespect to Donovan Jackson, who had a really good rookie year. And I think will be a good player.

But they didn't make that decision last season to go in that direction. I'm still skeptical about the safety spot. And I'm going to ride that and see where it goes. because I just feel like there's so many needs for this team and enough times where Rob Brzezinski has now hinted to us, hey, we're not just drafting for 2026 to fill needs. And it really does feel like the experts have honed in on no Harrison Smith equals Vikings must draft safety. I don't know that that's the case.

I mean, they've developed Jay Ward over a few years. Josh Mattelis has become a player that they wanted to pay a bunch of money and extend. And even Theo Jackson, I thought I had a lot of. bit of a rough go of it last year in his first time playing safety, but that doesn't mean that, you know, they have to be done with him forever. Also, I keep looking and I know that there's not, these names don't blow anybody's minds, but, you know, somebody like Bud Clark even, I was watching a little Bud Clark from TCU and I'm like, he's got range. This is like a third round safety who I think could play for the Minnesota Vikings, as you mentioned, little undersized for a safety, but has got

range could be like a Cambinum type. I don't know. There's dudes that are in this draft at that safety position. Jalen Kilgore is another one that's kind of intriguing to me as maybe a bit of a project there. But, right, but Brian Flores could create a big nickel. I like McNeil Warren is a very natural football player. And one of the things that he does a lot that there's just a look to this. I don't know how to describe it. Like you see this with basketball players sometimes.

He's got like a billion fumbles forced. He just goes after the football. Like he covers a lot of ground. he's got the long wingspan, and I feel like he's a really instinctual player. But I also think, and this is no disrespect to the Mac, I love Macian. But I don't know, man. Like, I know that Quinnion Mitchell, but that dude was really, really special. Am I drafting a Mac player at 18 overall in a world where most of the good players in the Mac transfer to better schools?

That's just where we are right now as a football universe. he didn't have like 47 sacks or interceptions or anything else like that. I just don't know if I could do it there. He looks more to me like I would take him in the second round. He also is like a, and I know 40 doesn't really matter, but it's not like he was a 4-3. It's not like he was Eamon Waring. So those are some of my, like, even Worry had one of the best combines that's ever

happened. That was not the case for McNeil Warren. I don't know how I would feel entirely about that. I mean, I wouldn't adore it, but I would be able to. okay with it because I do agree with you that he's a very natural, just good to great football player that is a three down safety. But I agree with all of your counterpoints. And like, again, you have to spin it to you're picking him over Thineman who had six interceptions in the Big Ten, which we've proven the last couple of years is very good conference in college football in the modern day

college football landscape. Six interceptions as a freshman. Then he transfers to Oregon and has four interceptions last year and is all over the football, like 90 plus tackles every season, you would be saying, all right, we've watched both of them, we've evaluated both, Thineman tested better and did it against better competition. So to me, those would be the final tiebreakers, even if you had them graded similarly, better competition, better workout. I would go Dylan Thineman over McNeill Warren at 18. Okay, one more thing for you, Chris. Something came up that was interesting and every year it is when Bob McGinn comes out with his, you know, what scouts are saying.

And there's a lot of ridiculous takes. Oh, my God. And it's, it's high entertainment. And, but there's also little intriguing nuggets that are tossed in there. And somebody that I had connected to the Vikings early on was Aviontorel, the cornerback from Clemson.

And when I watched him at the Combine, I'm no genius at Combine watching, but he looked very smooth. And like, okay, didn't run a 40, I don't think. and then, you know, you watch a little bit of him play.

He's got some edge, got some toughness. I kind of like the cut of his jib in the way that he plays. He'll go after people. So I'm like, I like, I like this guy. That's my scouting, Chris. That's why I use the data and you to figure out this stuff. But here is what a scout said about Avion Terrell, or what scouts said to Bob McGinn over at Go Long,

which is Tyler Dunn's place of work, says at the Combine in late February, Torell elected not to run the 40 or the shuttle run. but participated in drills except for the final two. On March 12th, he didn't do anything at his pro day. In a private workout March 30th, he ran 240s and was measured and nothing else. His times were 469 and 464. After the second 40, he told Falcon scouts administering the workout that his left hamstring

was an issue. Quote, wow, I didn't think he was fast, maybe 4-5-5, but that's a killer. One scout said, I'm sure he'll try to run again. He definitely will fall behind in that group. So, uh, that's not good. If that is the case. I feel like is it just, is it just me, Chris or is it going to be Delane and McCoy? And that's it in the first round for corners.

And then Colton Hood, Avion Terrell, these Brandon C say these guys go later because none of them really have a clean record if this guy is running four sixes. So quick on Avion Terrell. I didn't love him on film and like early, early in the process because his brother is AJ Terrell. It's like, oh, he's the first round from Clems. And Nate Wiggins went in the first round a few years ago from that program. Obviously, Vikings fans have PTSD about Andrew Booth and the second round a few years ago as well. But that's a program that's sent a lot of quality corners or at least have quality prospects at corner to the league.

I didn't love him on film. I didn't see that report that he ran in the four sixes. Maybe his his hamstring was a little injured. I didn't think he was super fast on film. The only other corner that I think could. go in the first round. I mean, and I'm saying this and we could see five go, but is Chris Johnson from San Diego State because he is super feisty, tested well. A lot of scouts that I've talked to really like him, I mean, or at least they're telling me that they like him. And I think he's great

on film. So that's the other one. I think if DeAngelo Pons was like two inches taller and weighed 10 more pounds, he would definitely be a first rounder because he tested through the roof and his film is absurd. But those three, I think, are the ones that I don't want to necessarily say that Chris Johnson is locked in, but he could be the one that's one of those last six or seven picks in the first round at corner. I will canoe on DeAngelo Ponds. I love him.

I'm a fan. I'm a fan. And part of it is because Antoine Winfield. And I know. He is that guy. I know it's an outlier, but it isn't when he has athletic testing like that. And you're like, okay, all right, he's not very tall.

But he jumps two or three inches higher than everybody else. That's what I can. comparison for him. My low, like he is like I didn't go with one with him for DeAngelo Pons. I went Devon Witherspoon, who's great. Yeah. And Antoine Winfield senior. Like I remember watching him in Buffalo and then certainly followed his career in Minnesota. That's the type of player where you were always like, whoa, that little dude is making plays. And it happened for like 15 years in the NFL. That's a type of player I think DeAngelo Pons is. Explosiveness, toughness, playmaking on the football, baller mentality. I'm all in on that. It's tough to.

do it in the first round, but I think he is a deserving high draft pick. Anyway, okay, well, great stuff, Chris. We still have to get to before the draft. We got to get to two big things. We got to do the, the buyer beware show. And I promise that last week. We'll definitely do that. And also our 90s comps show.

100% 90s early 2000. I think actually now we probably have to start extending this. We've been doing this so long to like 2010. So it's like 1990 to 2010 comps for all these players. and I've already been working on a few for Vikings, like former Vikings players. Yours are always awesome. Yeah, yeah. They're really, really good.

All right. Well, thank you again for another episode of the Chris Trappaso Draft show. And we will talk to you again next week. Football. Football.