3 realistic trades Vikings could make ahead of the NFL Trade Deadline

While the Minnesota Vikings took their first loss of the season this past Sunday in an instant classic with the Detroit Lions, Kevin O'Connell's crew still has plenty to be pleased about heading into their Week 8 matchup on Thursday night with the Los Angeles Rams.

As many didn't expect the Vikings to win more than seven or eight games — and that was at the very most — the fact that they're 5-1 is obviously nothing but a positive.

Like the Vikings as a whole, quarterback Sam Darnold has been a pleasant surprise. Sure, he's made some mistakes. But for a guy who was a backup a season ago and was really only brought in to mentor J.J. McCarthy, he's done quite well for himself.

Aaron Jones has been a nice surprise as well and leads the team in yards from scrimmage. Justin Jefferson is still Justin Jefferson, so there are no issues there, and Jalen Nailor and Jordan Addison have been steady for the most part. And Darnold will get another weapon soon as tight end T.J. Hockenson is seemingly set to return against the Rams.

Overall, the Minnesota defense has been better than expected. The pass rush has been solid, as the Vikings currently own the third-most sacks in the league with 24.0. They're also allowing just 80.0 rushing yards per game, the second-fewest in the NFL.

The biggest issue for Brian Flores' unit thus far has been pass coverage, as the Vikings have allowed 260.3 yards per game through the air, the third-most of any team. However, they have been able to offset some of that damage by recording a league-leading 11 interceptions.

So, again, this team has been strong from an overall standpoint. But that doesn't mean it couldn't get better ahead of the NFL trade deadline on November 5.

As it goes with every postseason contender, which the Vikings obviously are at this point, Minnesota has already been linked to several high-profile players over the last few weeks. There's even a wild rumor going around that the Vikings could trade Sam Darnold to the Rams for Matthew Stafford.

Given O'Connell's past ties to LA, whom he helped win a Super Bowl as the team's OC, that's not surprising. They'll undoubtedly be linked to Cooper Kupp as well. But while the Vikings could actually afford some big names like that, those moves don't seem all that realistic, nor do they seem overly necessary, as the help they need the most is on the defensive side of the football.

So, that's where we'll keep our focus here.

Jaycee Horn, CB

It's no secret that the Carolina Panthers are an absolute mess right now. But while it often doesn't look like it, they do have some solid players on the roster, one of them being cornerback Jaycee Horn.

The biggest issue with the 2021 first-round pick is his injury history, missing plenty of time in each of his first three seasons. But he's been healthy this year and has played good football on a bad team.

For instance, in the Panthers' humiliating 40-7 loss to the Washington Commanders this past week, Horn still earned a 74.2 overall grade from Pro Football Focus when 11 Carolina players couldn't even crack the 50-point mark. It's not easy to earn that high of a rating in a 33-point loss, but that's what Horn did.

The Panthers might want a little bit more in return than the Vikings would be willing to give up, and Minnesota is a bit hindered in draft capital at the moment, at least for the 2025 draft, where they currently only own three picks.

But this is still doable, as a conditional pick or two could be thrown in there. And it's not as if the Vikings would be paying him all that much this year and next. His cap hit this year was only $6.717 million, the entire amount of which obviously wouldn't fall on Minnesota. And next year, which is Horn's fifth-year-option season, his cap number is $12.472 million, which the Vikings could easily afford.

With Stephon Gilmore, Shaquill Griffin, Byron Murphy, and Fabian Moreau all unsigned beyond this season, the Vikes are going to need cornerback help anyway. They might as well go out and get an upgrade in Horn now and talk about an extension next year.

Greg Newsome II, CB

Like the Panthers, the Cleveland Browns are going nowhere this season. Sorry, Browns fans, but Joe Flacco likely isn't coming to save the day this time.

With the Deshaun Watson contract rapidly becoming arguably the worst in NFL history, Cleveland is facing financial issues that have clearly made them sellers ahead of the trade deadline.

Honestly, if the Browns weren't going to take a monster dead-cap hit with the way they worked his contract, I likely would have put three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward in this slot. But that almost seems impossible at this point.

Instead, we'll go with Greg Newsome II, who, like Horn, was taken in the first round of the 2021 draft and is only signed through next season.

Newsome doesn't possess the overall talent that Horn does, but that doesn't mean he's not a strong player when he's at his best. It's not easy playing opposite someone like Ward, as he often gets compared to a teammate who's simply better, which isn't quite fair, but that's how it goes. And he has shown why he was a first-round selection at times, even if he hasn't had the greatest 2024 thus far.

Nevertheless, this would add depth to the Vikings' secondary, which they need right now, and, at 24, he brings more youth into an older group. Newsome's cap hit is only a touch over $4 million this season but does jump to $13.377 million in 2025. Again, though, this is something Minnesota can afford to do. And also again, they'll need cornerbacks beyond this season.

Budda Baker, S

The Vikings have been linked to longtime Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker for weeks now, and this is a deal that could legitimately get done.

Baker is in the final season of the four-year, $59 million extension he signed in 2020, and there are no signs to indicate that he'll be with the Cards in 2025. The two sides attempted to come to terms on another extension this past offseason, but nothing came of it.

Even with Arizona sitting at 3-4 and having a genuine shot to win the NFC West, given the struggles the San Francisco 49ers have had, the hope for the Vikings would be that the Cardinals would want to get something for Baker instead of just letting him hit free agency.

Adding Baker to a safety group that already includes Harrison Smith and Camryn Bynum would give Flores the option to run a three-safety scheme that would undoubtedly help with the Vikings' pass defense woes.

And let's get real here. Smith, who's likely a future Hall of Famer, isn't getting any younger. Baker, on the other hand, is still just 28 and is already a six-time Pro Bowler. This could be both a short-term and long-term win for the Vikings.

And while he's not the biggest ballhawk in the league by any stretch, he's consistently among the league leaders in tackles and currently sits tied for seventh in that department. Baker may not rack up picks, but he can limit yards after the catch from opposing receivers, which will only help the Minnesota defense overall.