The Minnesota Vikings enter the 2025 NFL Draft in 10 days with just four draft picks, the fewest in the NFL after the franchise donated a total haul to the Jacksonville Jaguars last year for the draft pick that returned outside linebacker Dallas Turner.
Vikings’ Top Trade Bait Player Revealed
Accordingly, many believe Minnesota will conduct some trades during the draft — either trading down from its 24th overall pick or sending existing players elsewhere.
And per FOX Sports, the Vikings’ top trade bait candidate at the moment is defensive tackle Harrison Phillips.
Harrison Phillips as Trade Bait per Fox Sports
Fox Sports‘ Ralph Vacchiano nominated a trade bait player from each NFL team last week, and for the Vikings, Phillips got the nod.
He wrote, “The Vikings signed both DT Jonathan Allen (three years, $51 million) and DT Javon Hargrave (two years, $30 million) this offseason, which surely reduces Phillips’ role in their defense. They might not be inclined to trade him, given the age of their two new additions and the fact that Phillips is in the first year of a smaller, two-year extension.”
Phillips joined the Vikings’ roster at the start of the Kevin O’Connell era, 2022, and has served as a staple of the defensive line’s interior.
“But if they draft or find a possible replacement, the 29-year-old Phillips might be worth dangling on the market. He’s a strong run-stuffer who hasn’t missed a game in the past three years,” Vacchiano added.
Unsurprisingly, Vacchiano also tabbed another prominent former Viking as a trade candidate — Kirk Cousins. “A trade seemed obvious to everyone but the Falcons as soon as they made the switch at QB to Michael Penix Jr. last season. It never seemed smart for them to carry Cousins and the last three years of his four-year, $180 million contract just so he could be a backup. In fact, a trade should have happened months ago,” he noted.
“But at least owner Arthur Blank said he’s open to doing it now, for the right offer. Cousins wants out, but he’ll need to waive his no-trade clause. His deal, which includes a $27.5 million salary this season and only $10 million more guaranteed next year, shouldn’t be an obstacle for a quarterback-needy team.”
Why Harrison Phillips?
Phillips is pretty solid defensive tackle, stuffing the run quite adeptly over the last few seasons. Why would Minnesota entertain a trade?
Well, during free agency, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah signed Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, two defensive tackles who specialize in pressuring quarterbacks. Minnesota has seriously lacked effective three-technique defensive tackles for the last decade. Adding Allen and Hargrave represented quite the upgrade.
The team also re-upped with Jalen Redmond at the start of the offseason, a man who forged a breakout season in 2024 after a productive stint in the UFL.
So, regarding Phillips, Allen, Hargrave, and Redmond, one might wonder — are there enough defensive snaps for everybody?
If not, Phillips could be the odd man out via trade. The Vikings won’t trade Allen and Hargrave, that’s for sure.
The Hypothetical Trade Return
Of course, Phillips isn’t a mighty trade commodity who will fetch high-round draft capital.
He’s a dependable asset but one that would probably command a 5th-Round draft pick or something in the ballpark. If Minnesota traded him — probably a long shot, generally speaking — he could be attached to a trade involving draft picks to balance the deal.
Like the Vikings in recent seasons, some teams are starved for DT production, and Phillips can provide that.
Watch Out if Vikings Draft a DT
A Phillips trade would become exponentially more likely if Adofo-Mensah drafts a defensive tackle with his first pick of the draft. At pick No. 24, if the Vikings don’t trade down, defensive tackles like Kenneth Grant (Michigan), Water Nolen (Mississippi), and Derrick Harmon (Oregon) could pique their interest.
If the purple team trades out of the pick, others like Tyleik Williams (Ohio State) or Darius Alexander (Toledo) would be in play.
Adding a Grant, Nolen, or Harmon would overcrowd the DT room and make Phillips even more expendable.
Suddenly Too Many DTs
On the whole, this is a unique and wonderful problem. As recently as last season, the Vikings didn’t employ enough defensive tackles to keep pace with clubs like the Philadelphia Eagles per defensive line roster credibility.
Now, with the 2025 regular season less than five months away, Minnesota has a plethora of DT options, so much so that Phillips can be considered tradable.
Adofo-Mensah also employs depth defensive tackles Levi Drake Rodriguez, Taki Taimani, Travis Bell, and Jonathan Bell.
