Kwesi Adofo-Mensah can fix one of the Vikings’ biggest issues with a move he’s loved to make in the past
This could be a game-changing move for the Vikings
There are quite a few issues with the current Minnesota Vikings roster, including on the defensive side of the football.
Yes, Brian Flores’ defense is one of the best in the NFL, including leading the league in EPA/play at -0.142, 0.039 ahead of the second-place Jacksonville Jaguars. However, they still have major issues on the back seven. With Blake Cashman out with a hamstring injury, the linebacker group has struggled. Plus, the cornerback room has some serious depth issues within it. Byron Murphy Jr. is a very good player, and Isaiah Rodgers has had a tremendous start to the season, but there isn’t a lot of size in the room, nor a future outside of the top two cornerbacks for 2026, and only Murphy is under contract in 2027.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has sprung for a big trade in the past, and this could be the year where he does it again.
The Vikings should trade for Riq Woolen
It’s very hard to get a really good, established cornerback that doesn’t have some kind of major flaw (injuries, age, off-field issues). With his contract year coming up, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen doesn’t have any of those, and he could be available at the trade deadline.
A to Z Sports’ Kyle Crabbs wrote about five potential trade destinations for Woolen, but he didn’t include the Vikings. I was told multiple times before the start of the season that the Vikings were active in trying to acquire a top cornerback, and Woolen would fit the bill.
He’s a very interesting cornerback, as he stands 6-4 and 200 lbs, and pairs it with sprinter speed.
His incredible speed, along with explosive drills, leaves him an excellent profile for defensive coordinator Brian Flores to work with. Flores is okay without having size on the outside, but Woolen gives him the profile he looks for with the requisite size.
Flores likes his defensive backs to have the speed and quickness to play in zone coverage and attack forward. He can also run with literally any receiver in the NFL and play man-to-man coverage. The lack of quickness laterally can be an issue at times, but he has the length and speed to compensate for it somewhat.
One of the biggest issues the Vikings had last year with their cornerback room was running with crossing routes. Woolen can do that and then some.
Cost of Woolen trade could be expensive
The interesting part about making a trade is going to be cost. Adofo-Mensah is going to have a lot of draft pick compensation to work with.
- 1st
- 2nd
- 3rd
- 3rd (projected compensatory pick for Sam Darnold)
- 4th (projected compensatory pick for Daniel Jones)
- 4th (projected compensatory pick for Cam Robinson)
- 5th
- 5th (from Philadelphia Eagles)
- 6th (from Indianapolis Colts)
- 7th
- 7th (from Houston Texans)
What the compensation looks like could be interesting. There are some historical comps in the last 10 years we can look at with young cornerbacks being traded before their second contract.
- 2024: Tennessee Titans traded a 2024 seventh-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick for L’Jarius Sneed
- 2019: Los Angeles Rams traded 2020 and 2021 first-round picks, along with a 2021 fourth-round pick for Jalen Ramsey
- 2018: Rams traded 2018 fourth-round pick and 2019 second-round pick for Marcus Peters and 2018 sixth-round pick
- 2017: Philadelphia Eagles traded wide receiver Jordan Matthews and a 2018 third-round pick for Ronald Darby
Looking at these comps, Ramsey is a potentially generational cornerback when we look back at this era of football. That’s too high a price for what Woolen brings to the table. He’s a good player, but not on Ramsey’s level.
A good comp here is the trade for Peters. He was not going to sign a new contract with the Chiefs, and Woolen looks to be in the same boat with the Seahawks. The Vikings can easily make a move work if they want to, and it would end up being similar to the T.J. Hockenson trade. Paying the Seahawks in draft picks is one thing, but the Vikings will need to pay Woolen, which could get tricky.
They are paying Murphy $18 million per year, and would they be willing to put more than that in a contract for Woolen? With a trade and how much the Vikings would be giving up for Woolen, they will likely do just that. The top of the market is $30.1 million, and 10th on the highest-paid cornerbacks list is Trevon Diggs of the Dallas Cowboys at $19.4 million. I think Woolen would slightly surpass that.
Trade compensation: Vikings send 2026 second-round pick and 2027 fourth-round pick to the Seahawks for Woolen and a 2027 fifth-round pick
Contract: Four years, $84 million with $45 million guaranteed