Vikings eye elite safety Caleb Downs, potentially trading significant picks. Will Minnesota pull off a bold move for a defensive game-changer?
NFL draft season is intensifying as we have now entered draft month within the league. With anticipation now palpable, the hot takes are out in full force.
Among the hot takes, the Minnesota Vikings are viewed as a team that could trade up to draft a higher quality player. Fox Sports' Rob Rang took it to the next level predicting what it would look like if every team in the draft made a trade in the first round. Rang predicted the Vikings to trade up to No. 10 to draft Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.
Here was the explanation for why the trade up could occur in a trade heavy draft.
"Some believe that safeties just aren’t valuable enough in today’s NFL to justify a top-10 selection, but I think Downs’ tape over the past three seasons proves that he is the best player in this draft class. If he slips far enough, some savvy team is going to look brilliant. Sign me up for Downs in Brian Flores’ defense. Minnesota might have to give up both of their third-round picks (Nos. 82 and 97) to pull off a trade into the top 10, but as the signing of Kyler Murray proves, the Vikings aren’t afraid of bold action."
Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs (2) gets into position during the 2025 Cotton Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at AT&T Stadium. Jerome Miron-Imagn ImagesThe move addresses a clear need if it is allowed to happen. The Vikings are in desperate need of a safety with the questions regarding aging star safety Harrison Smith, but even if he were to return, some believe the Vikings would be shorthanded at the safety position.
Adding Downs would be a huge win for the Minnesota defense. It would give the Vikings one of the best prospects in all of the 2026 NFL draft class and one of the top safety prospects in recent history. It adds elite playmaking at a position where difference makers are hard to come by in today's NFL.
It's unlikely a deal like this is going to be made. The Vikings would have to give up plenty of trade capital and even then may not convince the Bengals to trade out of the No. 10 pick. Certainly given what Minnesota needs to add it's hard to envision them giving up several trade picks to move that far. Nevertheless, it's an interesting story to follow.
The Vikings will look to lock up an impact selection when they pick in the first round of the