Through the first four games of the 2026 season, the Minnesota Vikings have made a concerted effort to run the ball at a higher frequency than they have in any of the previous four years with Kevin O'Connell as the team's head coach.
Heading into Week 5, the Vikings have averaged 29 rushing attempts per game, which ranks ninth in the NFL, and that's almost five more attempts than what they averaged per matchup in 2025.
Despite the increased emphasis on their ground game, Minnesota still hasn't been able to run the ball efficiently this season. Through four weeks, the Vikings only rank 23rd in the league in yards per rush attempt (3.7) and 16th in rushing first-down percentage (33.9 percent).
Is it a scheme issue? Is it an offensive line issue? Is it a talent issue?
It's difficult to narrow down exactly what the problem is, but if one were to look at the NFL teams that rank in the top four in rushing first-down percentage this season (Atlanta Falcons, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens, and Kansas City Chiefs), they all have a star running back leading the way.
Is that what Minnesota needs in order to generate a more efficient rushing attack this year?
If it is, then making an attempt to acquire a player like Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley before this season's trade deadline might be something worth considering for the Vikings during the next few weeks.
How realistic is a possible Saquon Barkley trade for the Vikings?
At the start of the 2026 campaign, the Eagles even thinking about potentially moving on from Barkley at any point in the near future felt like an impossibility.
But following the recent retirement of Philadelphia right tackle Lane Johnson and the Eagles' decision to trade Cam Jurgens to the Ravens on Wednesday, the speculation about Barkley being dealt elsewhere this season has definitely picked up steam.
When it comes specifically to the Vikings, Yahoo's Josh Norris recently listed Minnesota as his No. 1 trade destination for Barkley, and on Wednesday, A to Z Sports' Tyler Forness made the argument for why it makes sense for the Vikings to make a deal for the current Philadelphia running back.
In his argument, Forness suggested that Minnesota sending the Eagles 2027 draft picks in the third and fifth rounds, along with a 2028 second-round selection, in exchange for Barkley could be the kind of offer that might just get a deal done.
Would new Vikings general manager Nolan Teasley be okay with making a trade for Barkley if it cost him those three draft picks in Forness's proposal?
It definitely seems like a deal that former Minnesota general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah would agree to, but that's also part of the reason why he's no longer with the organization.
Currently, Minnesota is projected to have two third-round picks and three fifth-round selections in the 2027 NFL Draft. So, parting with one 2027 pick from each of those rounds likely wouldn't have a giant impact on the Vikings' draft plans for 2027.
But the second-rounder in 2028 is something that would probably make the offer a little too steep for Teasley's liking.
Teasley was brought in to help Minnesota get back to building their roster from the ground up through the draft and giving up multiple top-100 picks for a banged-up running back (Barkley is currently dealing with a hamstring injury), who is likely already past his prime at the age of 29, doesn't seem like something that would follow that philosophy.
Adding to Philadelphia's leverage in a potential deal involving its All-Pro running back, though, is the fact that it will cost an acquiring team less than $1 million in cap space to have him on their roster for the rest of the 2026 season.
That might be enough for the Eagles to require at least two Day 2 picks from 2027 and 2028 be included in a trade for Barkley, which would likely put the Vikings on the outside looking in.
For teams like the Seattle Seahawks or Jacksonville Jaguars that are much closer to competing for a spot in the Super Bowl this season, giving up multiple top-100 draft selections probably wouldn't be something that would prevent them from trying to acquire Barkley before this season's trade deadline.
But for a team like Minnesota, that still needs to improve multiple parts of its roster before it can truly contend for a championship, giving up valuable future draft assets for a running back who will turn 30 in February doesn't seem like the smartest decision to make at this point in time.
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