The Minnesota Vikings received devastating news on Tuesday. Star receiver Justin Jefferson was placed on injured reserve, meaning he will be out for at least four games. 

The Vikings are sitting at 1-4 and will now be without their best player for a month at least. Barring something miraculous, the chance of competing in 2023 is all but eliminated. With that being said, the Vikings have several impact players set to enter free agency after this season that could be moved for draft capital. 

Today, let's take a look at the three players who would make the most sense as trade candidates. 

Marcus Davenport

Davenport signed a one-year, $13M deal this offseason. It would be fair to say that the signing has not gone as expected for the Vikings. Davenport has been good when on the field, but he’s only played two games this season. Expensive pass-rushers on expiring deals are not needed on teams who aren’t competing. 

Some teams would assuredly take a flier on Davenport for the rest of the season. Given that said team would be getting less than one season of Davenport, I wouldn't expect the draft capital to be all that much. However, if Davenport is testing free agency after the season, might as well get something for him. 

Trading the veteran would also allow more snaps for Andre Carter II and DJ Wonnum.

Jordan Hicks

Trading Hicks would be a surefire indicator that the team is giving up on the season. Hicks is a captain and one of the leaders on defense, in addition to being one of the most productive defenders. Hicks is behind only Camryn Bynum in tackles and has been rated highly by PFF. 

Hicks is on the wrong side of 30 and on an expiring deal, so he wouldn't fetch much in a trade. However, if the veteran wants to win and isn't planning on re-signing, a trade makes sense. 

Trading Hicks would allow the Vikings to see if Brian Asamoah II can regain some value.

Kirk Cousins

You have to include Kirk Cousins in a list like this. The QB will enter free agency after the season and it appears likelier every day that Cousins’ days in Minnesota are numbered. The QB would have to approve any trade, which makes him the most difficult player to move. 

However, Cousins may have no interest in playing for a rebuilding team. The Atlanta Falcons are competing for a division crown and could use an upgrade at QB. The New York Jets are another possibility after the Aaron Rodgers injury. Would Cousins approve a move to either of these teams? Who knows. It would be negligent to not at least inquire. 

The best example of a mid-season starting QB trade is Carson Palmer. The Bengals traded Palmer to the Raiders in October 2011 for one first-round pick and one second-round pick. Cousins is a better QB than Palmer was at that time, but that trade is widely regarded as a lopsided deal. 

The logistics would be difficult to hammer out, but it's worth exploring. 

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