For now, anyway, it's well-known that the Minnesota Vikings only have four picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. A trade down, or more likely, out of the first round from No. 24 overall, feels likely; the question will be if there's a team that feels compelled to move up.
But with only one pick between that first-round selection and the fifth round (pick No. 139), trading out of pick No. 24 is a good idea, and Minnesota general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah touched on it as vaguely as possible during his pre-draft press conference on Thursday in terms of using and creating trade value charts.
"I think the best thing you can do is understand why each chart is built the way it is and, kind of, maybe for each decision you make, understand, kind of, how you're using it for you."
At first glance, wide receiver does not feel like a need for the Vikings. Justin Jefferson is of course one of the best at the position, while Jordan Addison has been capable No. 2 from the moment he arrived as a first-round pick in 2023. Jalen Nailor had a breakthrough season in 2024 as the WR3.
But Nailor is entering the final year of his contract. Addison has had some off-field concerns that cloud the idea that the Vikings will willingly give him a market value contract when the time comes. Rondale Moore is an interesting addition from free agency, but he's on a one-year deal after missing all of last season due to a serious knee injury.
Late last month, on the "Vikings Happy Hour" podcast, Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune pointed to wide receiver depth as a draft need.
"I would keep an eye on wide receiver depth. They did the Rondale Moore pickup. I think that's a short-term thing, but they have sniffed around in that [wide receiver] world a little bit in the pre-draft process.
I think there's gonna be a look at how can they find another guy there, because one of the questions they have to answer in the next couple of years is what does that position look like behind Justin Jefferson?"
In an answer to a recent mailbag question about positions the Vikings would use their current four picks on if they didn't trade down, Alec Lewis of The Athletic listed wide receiver third, after the interior offensive and defensive lines.
Wide receiver is likely firmly on the radar for the Minnesota Vikings in the 2025 NFL Draft
In terms of some wide receiver names to watch for Minnesota in the draft, we can start with those they've had pre-draft visits with. That list, however short, includes Tai Felton (Maryland), Dorian Singer (Utah), Monaray Baldwin (Baylor), and Chandler Brayboy (Elon).
Other interesting wide receiver options for the Vikings in the Day 2/Day 3 range are Elic Ayomanor (Stanford), Kyle Williams (Washington State), Tre Harris (Ole Miss), Jayden Higgins (Iowa Sate), Jack Bech (TCU), Jalen Royals (Utah State), Tory Horton (Colorado State), Jaylin Noel (Iowa State), Savion Williams (TCU), Tez Johnson (Oregon) and Isaac TeSlaa (Arkansas).
The Vikings feel sure to come out of the draft with a wide receiver, and it may not even be dependent on trading out of the first round to get more picks.