There’s a good chance the Vikings will trade their first-round pick this year

Without a true glaring need, the Minnesota Vikings trading out of the first round during the 2018 NFL Draft is something that seems very possible.

If there is one specific aspect of the NFL Draft that Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman loves, it’s making trades.

Since he was promoted to be the Vikings’ general manager in 2012, Spielman has completed 23 different draft-day trades. Last year, Minnesota and their general manager made a whopping seven trades during the draft’s three-day period.

So basically, expect the Vikings to make a couple of trades during this year’s draft. But when exactly the first trade will occur remains to be the question.

With Spielman as their general manager, Minnesota has never traded out of the draft’s first round. However, 2018 could be a different story for the Vikings.

Heading into this year’s draft, Minnesota really does not have a need on their roster that absolutely must be filled with the 30th pick in the first round.

Are there certain players that the Vikings have in mind for their first 2018 selection? Of course, but most of these prospects will still be available to draft in the early portion of the second round as well.

As of right now, Minnesota only has eight selections in this year’s draft. This is an amount that Spielman will likely look to increase as he prefers to have at least 10 selections each year.

The Vikings not having a fourth-round pick yet in the 2018 draft is also something that only helps the case for the team trading out of the first round.

There are a number of teams this year who have multiple second-round selections and at least one fourth-round pick. Teams that include the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, and Buffalo Bills.

The Browns and Colts both have two selections within the first five picks of the second round this year. So if either wanted to trade back into the first round to get specific player, Minnesota could be the team they call to make a deal.

Minnesota Vikings

In five of the last six years, at least one team with an original selection between 27 and 31 has traded out of the first round during the draft. Each of these teams that traded away their first-round pick received at least a second and a fourth-round selection as their compensation.

Based on these past transactions and the fact that the Vikings are still without a fourth-round pick this year, there seems to be a pretty good chance that they would agree to trade away their first-round selection if given the option.

If it were to actually happen, a trade with Cleveland or Indianapolis seems more likely than one with Buffalo. The Bills have two second-round picks, but their first selection in round two isn’t until pick number 21.

A trade with the Browns or Colts in exchange for one of their early second-round selections and another pick in the fourth-round seems like a very believable scenario for the Minnesota this year. With this exchange, the Vikings would still have a good chance to get someone at the top of their draft board and it would also give them a selection in each of the remaining rounds of the draft.

Next: 4 tight ends the Vikings could draft in 2018

If Mr. Spielman gets a call from Cleveland or Indianapolis at the end of the first round with an offer like this, good luck to him saying no.