3 dream trade targets for the Minnesota Vikings in 2022
By Adam Patrick
Joey Bosa – DE (Los Angeles Chargers)
2020 Stats:
- 39 tackles (15 for a loss)
- 45 pressures, 27 quarterback hits
- 7.5 sacks
Last week, Vikings fans got some great news when they found out that Danielle Hunter and the team had agreed to a re-worked contract, meaning the talented pass rusher will return to the field for the purple and gold during the upcoming season.
While it’s currently exciting to think about Hunter picking up where he left off in 2019 as one of the top sack machines in the NFL, there’s still a possibility that he might not return as the same player.
His neck injury might turn out to be more impactful than anticipated and it could lead to Minnesota trading or releasing him in 2022.
If this happens, then the Vikings might look to replace him with another proven defensive end who is already in the league instead of using an early-round pick on a young pass-rushing prospect.
In this type of scenario, Minnesota could look to acquire someone like current Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa. The Chargers did just give Bosa a massive contract, and even though it’s only been a year, they should already be thinking of ways to save money to pay quarterback Justin Herbert when it comes time to give him an extension in a few seasons.
Bosa is one of the top defensive ends in the NFL right now and he’s actually only a year younger than Hunter. However, the current Los Angeles pass-rusher doesn’t come with the risk of having lingering effects from a neck injury like Hunter does right now.
If the Vikings were to move on from Hunter in 2022 and replace him with Bosa, then the performance of their defensive line shouldn’t experience any sort of massive changes. In fact, the play of the unit might even improve with the addition of Bosa.