Cowherd Proposes Vikings-Patriots Trade Involving Justin Jefferson, No. 3 Pick
Here's a rather absurd trade proposal from famous sports media personality Colin Cowherd: The Vikings send Justin Jefferson and their 2025 first-round pick to the Patriots to move up from No. 11 to No. 3 in this year's draft.
"I've got an idea," Cowherd said on his show The Herd on Monday. "New England's got the No. 3 pick. What does New England desperately need? A playmaker. Justin Jefferson — switch picks, I'll give you next year's (first-rounder) and Justin Jefferson to go from 11 to 3. 'Cause they've already got Jordan Addison, they've got the tight end they like (T.J. Hockenson). They've got skill players. Next year's one and Justin Jefferson to move up to the number three spot to get your quarterback."
That is quite the spicy idea from Cowherd. But while the broader concept is an interesting one, the details just don't make sense.
It's true that the Vikings still haven't signed Jefferson to what is going to be a record-setting contract extension (think $35 million a year). It's also true that they'll be in need of a quarterback in this year's draft if Kirk Cousins signs elsewhere; Cowherd's proposal was raised in the context of a report from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler that teams believe the Vikings could move up for a QB in April. But this trade idea would be a robbery on the part of the Patriots. The Vikings trade the best wide receiver on the planet and next year's first-round pick just to move up eight spots, presumably for Jayden Daniels?
It's hard to imagine a world where Kwesi Adofo-Mensah even considers it for a second if the Patriots call him up and make that offer.
All indications this offseason have been that the Vikings plan on signing Jefferson and keeping him in Minnesota. Then again, because a deal hasn't been completed yet, it's not totally ridiculous to speculate about an unlikely Jefferson trade. But if it's going to happen, the Vikings would want to get a large return, even knowing the team acquiring him would have to pay him to make the deal worth it. No matter what they think about Daniels, they're not going to trade Jefferson and next year's first just to move up eight spots in this year's draft.
It's very fair to question whether or not the Vikings can sign both Cousins and Jefferson to new contracts worth $35+ million annually this offseason. To suggest that they might do neither of those things is a very hot take. Think about it this way: a huge part of the appeal of the Vikings drafting a quarterback in the first round this year is that they'd get to throw to the best receiver in football. Even with Addison and Hockenson under contract for a while, the Vikings don't want to let Jefferson continue to dominate the league in any jersey but their own.
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