Vikings predicted to land 7-time Pro Bowler for Brian Flores’ defense in mega trade with Dolphins

Ryan OLeary

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Vikings predicted to land 7-time Pro Bowler for Brian Flores’ defense in mega trade with Dolphins image

The Minnesota Vikings will enter the 2025 NFL Draft short on major roster needs, but also short on overall draft capital.

GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is expected to wheel and deal on draft weekend, starting on Day 1, as Minnesota has been a popular team in trade-back projections at No. 24 overall.

Moe Moton of Bleacher Report recently dropped a different trade idea that is sure to raise some eyebrows among Vikings fans. In a hypothetical whopper, he has Minnesota parting ways with pick No. 97 overall, in the compensatory portion of the third round, in exchange for seven-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jalen Ramsey of the Miami Dolphins.

Here was Moton’s full proposal:

Minnesota Vikings Get: CB Jalen Ramsey

Miami Dolphins Get: 2025 3rd-round pick (No. 97 overall)

Like the Los Angeles Rams, the Minnesota Vikings would have to restructure contracts to make room for Jalen Ramsey, but that's a minor inconvenience in an attempt to patch up their defense.

Minnesota re-signed Byron Murphy Jr., a versatile cornerback capable of lining up on the boundary and in the slot. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores can mix and match him with Ramsey while the team figures out who can fill in the gaps alongside them.

The Vikings haven't re-signed Stephon Gilmore, leaving a glaring need in the secondary. They signed a couple of placeholder veterans, Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah, to fill the void ahead of the draft. Last July, Mekhi Blackmon tore his ACL, and he only started in three games during his rookie campaign.

Minnesota can target a cornerback early in the draft, though in a win-now mode, Ramsey makes sense as a quick-fix option to help a pass defense that finished 28th in total yards last season.

If we were to rank Minnesota’s roster needs entering this year’s draft, boundary cornerback would be high on the list. The Vikings signed Isaiah Rodgers on a two-year deal in free agency, but they should continue adding to a position group that includes chess-piece Byron Murphy Jr., and a pair of unknowns in Mekhi Blackmon and Jeff Okudah coming off major 2024 injuries. 

Safety is another area of concern for Minnesota after the team lost starter Camryn Bynum in free agency. Selecting a first-round safety, like Georgia’s Malaki Starks or South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori, coupled with a blockbuster Day 2 trade with the Dolphins for Ramsey, would make Minnesota’s already stacked roster completely air-tight on paper.

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The issue here is Ramsey’s age and contract. He just signed a three-year, $72.3 million extension with Miami in 2024. He’s signed through the 2029 season, when he’ll turn 34 years old. Trading a top-100 draft pick for an aging veteran already comes with risks, but those risks are amplified when you’re a team with Minnesota’s current draft capital.

This is a fun hypothetical to discuss, as the Dolphins are actively shopping Ramsey, but the timing of it makes zero sense for the Vikings. They just spent close to $300 million in free agency this year, so taking on Ramsey’s monster salary of over $24 million per year doesn’t exactly fit. The Vikings also fielded one of the oldest rosters in the NFL in 2024 based on player age and snap-count percentages, so swapping a potential impact rookie for a 31-year-old Ramsey would be second-guessed to the moon.

While this proposal isn’t happening, the Vikings could definitely add to the cornerback room in the coming weeks. If they don’t land a top prospect in the draft, familiar names like Shaq Griffin and Stephon Gilmore became obvious options in the latter stages of free agency.

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Ryan OLeary

Ryan O'Leary has spent his entire professional career in sports multimedia, working as journalist, editor, podcaster, and in live events as a content manager and show emcee. His career highlights include working as a podcast host and audio editor for USA TODAY Sports Media Group, where he led a series of NFL podcasts for the company’s top-performing NFL sites. A born and raised New Englander, Ryan’s career kicked-off in newspapers after graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in journalism. He developed an affinity for small-town youth, high school and college sports, while also realizing his childhood dream of covering the Patriots in multiple AFC Championship Games. Ryan enjoys kicking it with family and friends, beating his dad and brother in chess, and arguing with anyone crazy enough to insist that Tom Brady isn’t the GOAT.