When it comes to draft trades, Vikings GM Rick Spielman is a draft capital stockpiler
Minnesota has traded back in drafts a number of times, but how do they compare to other NFL teams in terms of making deals?
According to Brad Spielberger, the Vikings’ Rick Spielman is categorized as a general manager known for trading back and acquiring more picks. Spielberger —now working for PFF — analyzed each NFL GMs’ draft-trading tendencies at Over the Cap.
This year, he has updated Spielman’s numbers on Twitter to show that the Vikings GM has traded down 28 times, while only trading up nine times, putting him definitively in the trade-back group around the league.
Here’s what Spielberger wrote about the Vikings in April of 2020:
“The Vikings prioritize getting as many dart throws as possible, which has definitely proven successful. In 2012, the Vikings traded down from No. 3 to No. 4 with the Browns. Trent Richardson ended up in Cleveland and the Vikings landed Matt Kalil. Two years later in 2014, the Browns called again looking to move up one spot from No. 9 to No. 8. Justin Gilbert ended up in Cleveland and the Vikings took Anthony Barr.”
A case can be made for the Vikings to trade back in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. Minnesota has no second round picks and the team has a mid-round first, which could land the Vikings a decent haul in a trade. You can read more about that here.
