There is a lot of talk surrounding the Minnesota Vikings using their No. 12 overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft to trade back on Thursday. But there’s still the very real possibility they’ll go in the other direction if the right players fall on the board.
According to The Athletic’s Chad Graff, the Vikings are preparing for a possible trade-up scenario for defensive end Travon Walker or cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, if they are available later than expected.
Graff particularly keys in on the No. 8 spot, where the Vikings wouldn’t have to part ways with a second-round draft pick, along with their first, in the haul it would take to move up. The hope is they’d be able to get away with exchanging a third-round draft pick by that point instead.
As of right now, it’s widely believed Walker will go No. 1 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but considering how quickly things change on the fly, the Vikings are likely laying the foundation for a scenario where that isn’t the case.
Meanwhile, Gardner, who might be the best cornerback in the draft, is still likely to be the first player at his position taken off the board. But the same is the case for him as with Walker. If a team has a change of heart or someone moves up on the board and makes an unexpected pick, it could create a scenario where the Vikings would consider trading up.
At this point, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and his staff have probably thought up more scenarios than the architect of The Matrix. And still, like the rest of us, they won’t know what’s going to happen until it does.
