2013 NFL Draft: Could Minnesota Vikings trade up with New Orleans Saints?
By Nam Huynh
Nov 24, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans receiver Robert Woods (2) is pursued by Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Chris Salvi (24) at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Notre Dame defeated USC 22-13. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports
With holes at wide receiver, middle linebacker, cornerback and defensive tackle, the Minnesota Vikings are likely to address a couple of those needs with their two first-round picks in the upcoming 2013 NFL Draft.
Or just one.
Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com made a list of three teams that could look to move up in the first round of the draft. Jeremiah believes the Vikings may move up to snatch up a receiver before the St. Louis Rams:
"Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings are coming off of a season in which their passing attack ranked 31st in the NFL. They can’t rely on Adrian Peterson to shoulder the entire offensive load for a second straight season. During the offseason so far, they’ve lost one major weapon (trading Percy Harvin to the Seattle Seahawks) and picked one up (signing Greg Jennings). They still have a pressing need at the receiver position. All signs point toward the St. Louis Rams selecting a receiver with one of their two first-round selections (Nos. 16 and 22). The Vikings also have two first-round selections (Nos. 23 and 25), but they will have to wait in line behind St. Louis. I could see the Vikings seeking to move just ahead of the Rams to secure their top pass-catching target in the draft."
This would mean the Vikings may look to trade with the New Orleans Saints, who own the 15th overall pick of the draft, just ahead of the Rams at No. 16. According to the trade value chart, the 15th overall pick has a trade value of 1,050 points.
Minnesota’s No. 23 (760 points) and 25 (720 points) picks have a combined value of 1,480 points, so they could technically trade as high as No. 7 (1,500 points) or No. 8 (1,400 points). The team’s second-round pick (52nd overall) has a trade value of 380 points.
The Vikings could potentially trade their second first-round pick and second-round pick (1,100 points total) for the Saints’ 15th overall pick (1,050 points), assuming of course, that New Orleans wants to trade down.