Minnesota Vikings have interesting trade options at wide receiver, including a game changing All Pro

Word came out on Wednesday morning that the Minnesota Vikings were exploring a trade for a wide receiver. Why are the Vikings looking to trade for a wide receiver? The answer is two-fold: Jordan Addison is set to serve a three-game suspension to start the season, and the health of Jalen Nailor is in question. […]

Adam Holt, Brandon Little, Charles Goldman, John Sheeran, Kyle Crabbs, Tyler Forness, Wendell Ferreira
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Word came out on Wednesday morning that the Minnesota Vikings were exploring a trade for a wide receiver.

Why are the Vikings looking to trade for a wide receiver? The answer is two-fold: Jordan Addison is set to serve a three-game suspension to start the season, and the health of Jalen Nailor is in question.

Making a move is interesting for the Vikings. It’s a signal that they are all-in on this window with J.J. McCarthy, and it would maximize his chances of success. Who are some candidates from across the league? I asked our staff at A to Z Sports who could be on the move ahead of cutdown day.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver trade candidates

Cincinnati Bengals: Mitchell Tinsley

Might as well strike while the iron is hot, right? Tinsley is not a starter, but he surged up the Bengals’ depth chart this summer and got work with the big names in the room. Seriously, if you’re standing out while Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Andrei Iosivas are next to you, something good is happening.

Burrow is a big fan of Tinsley and endorsed him to make the 53-man roster after his two-touchdown showing on Monday night against his former team. Cincinnati signed him to a minimum deal back in February, so even if a late-round draft pick comes back in a trade, it would still be surplus value for the projected WR6 on this roster. – Bengals beat writer John Sheeran

Adding a wide receiver from an offense that is similar to Kevin O’Connell’s would be ideal. Zac Taylor runs an adjacent offense with some additions to accommodate Joe Burrow. Tinsley thrived on Monday night as Sheeran mentioned, and it would likely come with a late-round pick or pick swap. Would he be better than Lucky Jackson, who is currently WR4? I have my doubts.

Projected trade: Seventh-round pick

Miami Dolphins: Tyreek Hill

Hill is a heavyweight name who is inevitably going to be considered amid trade rumors based on how his 2024 season ended with Miami. The Dolphins would need a player back capable of helping the team in 2025, but there’s some wiggle room with his scheduled option bonus and base salary that could allow him to be moved, for the right player back and price. –NFL staff writer Kyle Crabbs

This is where the heat is right now. Hill has been on the block for some time, and he would immediately become the WR2 ahead of Addison. That’s not to say that Addison isn’t good, but Hill operates on a higher level, even in his 30s.

The Vikings drafted Tai Felton with the idea that he would be a speed threat that could take the top off the defense. Hill can do that and snap off routes with aggressiveness. There are some mitigating factors: trade compensation and money. Hill is due a $16 million roster bonus at the end of January, and the price to acquire him could be too high, especially if the Dolphins end up eating some of that money. Jaylen Waddle would make more sense financially, but my sense is they have zero interest in trading him.

Projected trade: As high as a second-round pick, but other factors can change this

Miami Dolphins: Dee Eskridge

Miami has a log-jam of wide receivers and will have a hard time deciding if they can keep six on the 53-man roster. Between Waddle, Hill, second-year receiver Malik Washington, and new addition Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, the Dolphins should consider four spots locked in. But second-year draft pick Tahj Washington has splashed in camp, which could make Eskridge expendable for a late-round pick swap. He has return ability and good speed while appearing to show some growth as a route runner during his time with the Dolphins. –NFL staff writer Kyle Crabbs

I have long been a fan of Eskridge. I had him ranked 0.5 points on my grading scale behind Ja’Marr Chase, and I’ve been frequently reminded of that fact for the last few years. He’s never quite figured things out at the NFL level, with some of that being injury-related. His training camp with the Dolphins has finally shown what he can do, but it might be too little, too late. He would be an intriguing addition for the Vikings, especially with the return ability.

Projected trade: Late round pick swap

Green Bay Packers: Mecole Hardman

Intra-divisional trades are not common, but Brian Gutekunst and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah have already made deals, including the one that allowed the Packers to draft Christian Watson back in 2022. Now, Green Bay is handling its own share of WR injuries, so moving on from higher-profile players like Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks is out of the equation. However, Mecole Hardman could become available.

He’s experienced, fast, and adds value to special teams. However, the Packers have younger options who could make more long-term sense, so any type of compensation for Hardman could be enough for the front office to move on from him and keep Malik Heath as the sixth wide receiver instead, while Watson recovers from the ACL injury on PUP. Because the Vikings have three seventh-rounders, it’s not a significant investment for a competent slot receiver. – Green Bay Packers beat writer Wendell Ferreira

Hardman is a veteran who has never quite figured out how to utilize his speed in conjunction with his great route running. That’s a tough one to parse out, but also a friendly reminder that speed isn’t everything. He would be a slightly better version of Felton. It would be rare to see an inter-division trade, but that’s not something that Adofo-Mensah cares a whole lot about.

Projected trade: seventh-round pick

Cleveland Browns: Diontae Johnson

Early in camp, it looked like the Browns might have landed a bargain with wideout Diontae Johnson. Once he got back into shape, he started making plays and looked poised for a bounce-back after a tough 2024 season, during which he spent time with three teams. With little free-agent interest elsewhere, signing with Cleveland gave him a chance to prove himself and earn a roster spot.

Unfortunately for Johnson, Kaden Davis and undrafted rookie Gage Larvadain have been impressive and bring added value on special teams. Add in Isaiah Bond, who is already considered a roster lock, and the competition gets even tougher. Given where Cleveland is, keeping Johnson on a one-year deal doesn’t make much sense, especially if the Browns can flip him for something like a conditional seventh-round pick. – Cleveland Browns beat writer Brandon Little

We’ve been there with Johnson before. He was on three teams last season, and he doesn’t exactly have a great track record as a good locker room presence. However, you can see how incredibly talented he is when it comes to YAC and route running, both of which the Vikings prioritize.

Projected trade: Seventh-round pick

Kansas City Chiefs: Skyy Moore

While the former second-round draft pick out of Western Michigan has fallen short of expectations, he’s a low-risk, high-reward trade target. He’ll benefit from a team trading for him and showing belief in him because a lot of his issues aren’t talent-related, but rather mental, and he admitted as much just last week. He ripped off an 88-yard punt return touchdown in preseason Week 2 and seems poised to turn a corner with a change of scenery. – Kansas City Chiefs beat writer and Co-NFL Managing Editor Charles Goldman

Moore has three things on his Chiefs resume: A ring, a Super Bowl touchdown, and being a major disappointment. There is a possibility he could thrive in a new environment with the Vikings, especially next to Jefferson and Addison, but it would be a risk. It might be best to wait until he gets cut.

Projected trade: Seventh-round pick

Kansas City Chiefs: Jason Brownlee

I don’t get the impression that the Chiefs particularly want to lose Brownlee, who has quietly put together an impressive training camp. However, the team has a logjam at wide receiver, and he’s a stretch to make the 53-man roster at this juncture. He’s got size to excel as a big red zone target, plus an impressive catch radius, as illustrated by his touchdown in preseason Week 1. If the Vikings came calling, I don’t think they’d say no to a Day 3 pick in 2026 or 2027. – Kansas City Chiefs beat writer and Co-NFL Managing Editor Charles Goldman

The Chiefs not wanting to lose Brownlee is a sign that he’s a good player. The sense I get is that the Vikings wouldn’t improve much from what they have in Lucky Jackson, but the size is intriguing because it’s something they don’t have.

Projected trade: Seventh-round pick

New Orleans Saints: Dante Pettis

This wouldn’t be a “flashy” addition for Minnesota in nearly any capacity, but Pettis is an experienced pass catcher with legitimate special teams prowess. Pettis is in a group of wideouts on New Orleans’ roster vying for a spot behind Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Brandin Cooks. With Mason Tipton likely to make the team, Pettis’ skill set is more expendable for New Orleans.

This sort of move would be incredibly cheap for the Vikings as well, probably in the form of just a day three pick swap alongside Pettis. He was productive in the return game last year for New Orleans and received the second-most targets of his career since 2019. The 29-year-old would immediately step into a depth role for the Vikings. – New Orleans Saints beat writer Adam Holt

Pettis has been around the block a few times in his career. The former second-round pick has flashed a lot of promise, but has not been consistent for a multitude of reasons, including injuries. He caught on with the Saints last year with their injuries at the position and was solid. It could be a decent depth move, but again, is it an improvement on what Jackson is?

Projected trade: Seventh-round pick

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