The Minnesota Vikings play in the NFC North with some talented quarterbacks in Caleb Williams, Jordan Love, and Jared Goff. As a result, Minnesota needs its defense to make life challenging for opposing signal-callers.
Over the offseason, the Vikings traded away Jonathan Greenard and are hoping Dallas Turner can replace that production. Nonetheless, could Minnesota look at another position to cause the opponents’ quarterback to feel uncomfortable?
Wynston Wilcox of FanSided put together a list of teams that could realistically trade for Philadelphia Eagles‘ Jalen Carter, and one of those teams is the Vikings. Moreover, Wilcox noted that J.J. McCarthy could be part of a potential package.
“The Vikings don’t really have any player they could give up in a deal that wouldn’t gash this roster, so they’ll have to resort to draft capital, which could be a hefty price to pay,” Wilcox wrote in a July 16 article. “Jalen Hurts and the Eagles are at odds a bit, but he doesn’t have a potential out in his contract until 2028, according to Spotrac.
“That means a move for J.J. McCarthy just wouldn’t make too much sense right now. The Vikings don’t really have receiver depth either, so they’re stuck with giving up draft capital to land Carter.”
Last season, Carter played 640 snaps on defense for the Eagles, leading to a 60.0 overall PFF defensive grade. Moreover, he generated 41 total pressures, three sacks, 30 hurries, and eight QB hits. Meanwhile, against the run, recorded 18 solo tackles.
Jalen Carter Might Be Too Much of a Talent to Pass On
Nonetheless, the Vikings did draft a couple of defensive tackles to replace the departures of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Still, Carter might be too much to pass on if he’s available even though it might block two rookie defensive tackles.
“That said, he’s a beast and would instantly make this defensive line better,” Wilcox added in his article. “They went the young route, releasing Javon Hargrave and then trading Jonathan Allen to the Cincinnati Bengals.
“They drafted Domonique Orange and Caleb Banks as their future, but adding Carter would ensure they stay in championship contention. When you want stars on your team, it’s costly, but the Vikings can’t ignore how big of an addition Carter would be.”
Should the Vikings Explore the Veteran Free Agent Market?
If the Vikings don’t want to trade away any assets, they could look at the veteran free agent market. As a result, CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo recently noted that he sees Haason Reddick as a fit for Minnesota.
“One of the league’s premier pass rushers from 2020-23 (he averaged nearly 13 sacks per season over that span), Reddick had just 3.5 combined sacks over the past two seasons,” DeArdo wrote in a July 2 article. “But while he had just 2.5 sacks in 2025, he amassed 34 pressures despite playing through several injuries.”
Last season, Reddick played 571 total snaps on defense with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, leading to a 57.2 overall PFF defensive grade. Reddick generated 34 total pressures, three sacks, 29 hurries, two QB hits, and one forced fumble. Meanwhile, against the run, he recorded 24 solo tackles.
Vikings Receive Bold Trade Pitch for Eagles’ Jalen Carter