While most NFL draft rumors have suggested that the Minnesota Vikings will likely stay put at No. 11 in the first-round and select a cornerback or a wide receiver, it seems another option may be on the table for Vikings GM Rick Spielman.
"One potential trade spot? #Vikings at 11. They want ammo to move around in the draft, could move back. 5th-year options become cheaper at 11," Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported.
While the Vikings have a few significant holes that very well could be filled by a top prospect at that spot just outside the top-10 - a prospect like cornerback Trae Waynes or wide receiver DeVante Parker - the new draft strategy for most NFL franchises seems to be something of the shotgun variety, ie; accumulate as many picks as possible because more picks means more chances to hit on a top performer.
Also, as Rapoport notes, the No. 11 pick is when fifth-year options on first-round NFL draft picks become less expensive - according to Greg Rosenthal of NFL.com, the top-10 picks get a deal equal to the leagues' transition tag number, whereas picks No. 11 through 32 get a raise that's not quite as hefty.
Waynes or Parker or Breshard Perriman or Marcus Peters or whoever else the Vikings could target at that spot would certainly have a high chance of impacting the team in a positive way, hence why they're high selections in the first place, but fewer picks means increased pressure on first-rounders means it's all the more imperative for whoever Minnesota brings in to produce at an elite level and soon.
Moving back and adding picks means a bigger draft haul and, presumably, an increased likelihood of grabbing a player with real, franchise future-altering capabilities.
