Is A Justin Jefferson Trade As Absurd As Some Think?
Look away Matt Hanifan, but are we sure it’s such a bad idea to think about a Justin Jefferson trade? Looking at the NFC North, the Detroit Lions are not going anywhere, the Green Bay Packers seem to have figured it out, and the Chicago Bears…well they’re the Bears. They’ll be getting Caleb Williams soon and have done a nice job this off-season. Minnesota has two first-round picks in this year’s draft, but find themselves currently outside range for a QB.
That last part is very important. They lost Kirk Cousins this off-season to Atlanta, and we all can realize Sam Darnold isn’t the answer, even on a one-year deal. The Vikings currently own picks 11 and 23 in the first round, but the top three guys will be long gone and J.J. McCarthy will likely be gone by then as well. Sure, they could use those two picks to trade up, and we will have to likely wait until draft night to see what they do. But next year’s class is also shaping up to be quite nice.
Justin Jefferson has already told us he wants a record-setting deal. Don’t get me wrong, Jefferson is the best receiver in the NFL. At age 24, he already has 392 receptions for 5,899 yards and 30 touchdowns. This is an absurd first four years, and he is on pace to be an all-time great. It’s hard to find top-flight receivers, but these receivers coming out of the draft year over year are getting so much better. We just saw Puka Nacua have the greatest rookie season ever, and he was a fifth-round pick. Do you want to pay someone probably over $32M a year over five years, while the roster isn’t currently built to succeed?
I’m not sure I do. The fan base will hate it, but the package you would receive would be astronomical. Let’s look at some of the biggest packages in NFL history for receivers.
- Keyshawn Johnson: two first-round picks
- Joey Galloway: two first-round picks
- Andre Rison: two first-round picks (one of which was the no. 1 overall pick)
- Tyreek Hill: five total picks, including a one and a two
Minnesota has an opportunity to land the biggest package in NFL history, not only at the receiver position but in general. It’s not often a 24-year-old receiver entering his prime becomes available. You don’t think Arizona would offer the fourth overall pick plus much more? Atlanta wouldn’t offer eight overall? It isn’t just about the picks this year, the future picks to help rebuild this team would be massive. I don’t think it’s far-fetched that Minnesota could fetch three firsts plus more for Justin Jefferson.
I’m not saying I would 100% trade Justin Jefferson right this second. However, I would open those lines and at least field the calls. If I was offered an offer centered around three firsts plus maybe a defensive starter or two, I would listen. I understand the hesitation that Vikings fans are going to have about this, but a wise man once told me if you aren’t one of the eight best teams in the NFL, rebuild where you can. It would hurt, but trading Jefferson to fund the full rebuild could be best long term. Just think about it.
