Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman was active during the 2017 NFL draft as he turned a third round draft pick into four draft selections.
Rick Spielman stayed very busy during the 2017 NFL draft. Because of his ability to think quickly on his feet, the Minnesota Vikings made a trade that put them in a good drafting position for the later rounds. They traded their second third round draft pick for a total of four draft picks.
Before we look at this years trade lets take a look at how the Vikings ended up with two third round draft picks in the first place.
Last year the Minnesota Vikings opted to trade their third round pick during the 2016 draft. They dealt the pick to the Miami Dolphins for a 2016 sixth round pick, 2017 third round pick, and a conditional 2017 fourth round pick. The Dolphins used that third round pick to draft wide receiver Leonte Carroo. This trade ended up being very valuable to the Vikings in 2017.
During the 2017 draft Rick Spielman sent the third rounder they acquired away in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs. In exchange for the Vikings 3rd round pick (No. 86), they received a later third round (No. 104), fourth (No. 132), and a seventh (No. 245) from the Chiefs.
The Minnesota Vikings general manager wasn’t done making moves despite turning one pick into three already. The Vikings then took their new third round pick (No. 104) and traded it to San Francisco for their fourth round (No. 109) and seventh round picks (No. 219). They made a few trades after this but this is how they turned 1 third rounder into 4 draft picks.
After these moves, the Vikings official gained the following picks.
Round 4
- No. 109
- No. 132 which was traded for (No. 139), then traded for (No. 170)
Round 7
- No. 219
- No. 245
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Spielman deserves a lot of credit for turning an extra third round pick from the Dolphins into four draft picks. These players will add much-needed depth to a team that struggled with injuries all season long.
Here are who the four draft picks eventually turned into.
Round 4
- No. 109 – Jaleel Johnson, Defensive Tackle (University of Iowa)
- No. 170 – Rodney Adams, Wide Receiver (South Florida)
Round 7
- No. 219 – Stacy Coley, Wide Receiver (University of Miami)
- No. 245 – Jack Tohco, Corner Back (N.C. State)
Next: Vikings 2017 NFL Draft class: List of all draft picks
The Minnesota Vikings were able to address two positions of need with quality fourth round talent. In addition, the team added two seventh round picks who have a chance to make the team.