Getty Washington State cornerback Trent McDuffie was identified as the Vikings' trade-down draft target by insider Tony Pauline.
The Minnesota Vikings are pushing to have their cake and eat it too in the upcoming draft.
Numerous reports have indicated the Vikings are open to trading down in the first round to acquire more second-day picks. That shouldn’t change the expectations that the Vikings will select a cornerback with one of their first picks.
But what if LSU phenom Derek Stingley, once a top-three draft prospect before suffering a foot injury that he proved to recover from with an impressive pro day this spring, fell to Minnesota with the No. 12 overall pick?
Even Stingley may not be enough for the Vikings to stick to their spot in the first round.
Draft insider Tony Pauline revealed on the Pro Football Network Draft Insiders podcast on April 11 that Minnesota has graded Washington’s Trent McDuffie as high as Stingley and is willing to trade back in the draft.
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Vikings Could Trade Down for McDuffie
A consensus has formed among NFL pundits that the Vikings are favorites to select Stingley in the first round. Roughly 40% of expert mock drafts have the Vikings picking Stingley at No. 12 as the most selected player by Minnesota. Vegas has followed suit. Bookies.com gave Minnesota the highest odds of drafting Stingley over any other prospect at +250.
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However, Pauline reported that the Vikings are just as high on McDuffie as Stingley and that their “goal” in the draft is to trade down and select the best player available — which could be McDuffie.
“The Minnesota Vikings like cornerback Trent McDuffie, basically as much as they like Derek Stingley, and everyone has them taking Stingley with that 12th pick,” Pauline said. “Since the combine, the Vikings have said that their goal is to trade down out of that 12th spot to move deeper into the first round, collect extra selections on Day 2, and then they’ll take the best player that fits their needs, who I think is Trent McDuffie.”
Whether the Vikings broadcasting their desire to trade down is a smokescreen or not, at the very least, it’s telling other teams their phone lines are open.
Pauline said the Los Angeles Chargers, New Orleans Saints, and Pittsburgh Steelers are potential trade-up candidates. If Minnesota swapped first-round spots with any of those teams, they would remain inside the top-20 and garner extra picks in the draft.
“The opportunity will be there for the Vikings to trade down, and from what I’ve heard, that’s what they’ve been telling people since the combine; they’re looking to trade down out of that No. 12 spot,” Pauline added.
However, there’s no telling what Minnesota may do in the moment if Stingley fell to them at No. 12. The Vikings’ evaluation gap between Stingley and McDuffie appears to be minute. But would they abandon their plan for the upside Stingely has? Or is the evaluation grades between the two corners small enough that Minnesota maintains its M.O. of trading down?
There’s also no guarantee McDuffie falls to the Vikings if they trade down. At the start of the 2021 season, McDuffie was, on average, the No. 14 overall pick among Pro Football Focus mock drafts. He slipped to as low as the 24th overall pick but has climbed to an average pick of 12th overall throughout the pre-draft evaluation process.
Minnesota may be taking a risk in trading down by passing on McDuffie at No. 12 and hoping he continues to fall later in the draft.
The Vikings’ next option would be Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth Jr.
Draft Expert Ranks McDuffie Over Stingley
After one of the greatest true freshman seasons by a cornerback in college football, Stingley struggled the past two seasons due to coaching changes and injuries.
He’s the most athletic cornerback in recent memory and showed his ball-hawk abilities in the Tigers’ national championship run, snagging six interceptions that season as the first true freshman to start on defense for LSU in 34 years. Stingley is a high-risk, high-reward draft pick who has Pro Bowl potential.
Despite the potential in Stingley, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler graded McDuffie over Stingley for the Washington cornerback’s versatility, intelligence and consistency at the college level.
The only knock against McDuffie is his size at 5-foot-11, who also established himself as one of the country’s top corners after becoming a starter as a true freshman.
Washington CB Trent McDuffie
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McDuffie has flown under the radar due to a lack of numbers, which Brugler attributed to offense’s tendency to avoid throwing in his direction.
Brugler made a case for McDuffie, saying his intelligence compensates for his size, making him a high-floor and high-ceiling prospect.
From Brugler’s draft guide:
After earning a starting job as a true freshman, he quickly established himself as one of the top cover corners in the country, even though that wasn’t reflected in the stat sheet because offenses would often throw away from him. McDuffie is fluid in both man and zone coverages and rarely appears stressed athletically because of his feel for timing and spacing. While he is a top athlete, his mental skills might be even more impressive with eyes that are dialed in and the processing to sort through everything and communicate like an extra coach on the field. Overall, McDuffie might not hit ideal size thresholds for some, but he is an easy sell in draft rooms because he has outstanding athleticism, intelligence and is well-schooled in various techniques. He has a high ceiling and a high floor and should start as an NFL rookie.