Months after the 2024 NFL Draft, a report surfaced involving the Minnesota Vikings and one of the top receivers in the draft.
The Vikings and star receiver Justin Jefferson have been in negotiations for a new contract, and with the upcoming season approaching, a report claims that the Vikings were looking to move up to No. 5 in order to take one of the top draft choices available.
And no, it wasn't for quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the player they eventually did trade up for.
The Minnesota Vikings were reportedly trying to trade up for Malik Nabers
Malik Nabers was considered one of the top receivers in the draft, and because Justin Jefferson's future is in limbo with the Vikings, the report claims that Minnesota was preparing to trade the 24-year-old star receiver.
We caught wind of it on draft night but couldn't confirm it. Now, Charley Walters of the @PioneerPress reports on "buzz" that the Vikings tried to trade up for Malik Nabers. Walters adds that, if it had happened, Justin Jefferson "would have been traded." https://t.co/7Bdx3U20J0
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) May 26, 2024
It's uncertain the likelihood of whether this would happen, as it's hard to believe the Vikings would be willing to trade Justin Jefferson. Most teams would be willing to debt their franchise for decades to attain Jefferson, but would Minnesota trade one superstar for a different star receiver just to pay less money?
Per Spotrac, Justin Jefferson's market value is calculated at $32.5 million per year, while Malik Nabers' entire four-year rookie contract is valued less at $29.2 million.
This report comes across as one of those unlikely stories, but it would've been a major shake-up in the 2024 NFL Draft if true— emphasis on the "if true" part.
Was it true? Probably not, but the NFL Draft is when teams usually make their most desperate decisions. And if Minnesota pulled this off, there would be a big cloud of confusion among the Land of a Thousand Lakes.