Getty Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson making a catch in the endzone against the New York Jets.
NFL Insider Tony Pauline of the Pro Football Network recently said he could envision the New York Jets trying to trade down in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.
That is exactly what the team was able to pull off in a mock draft by The 33rd Team scouting department posted on Wednesday, April 12.
Minnesota Vikings receive: a 2023 first-round pick (No. 13 overall)
New York Jets receive: a 2023 first-round pick (No. 23 overall), a 2023 third-rounder (No. 87 overall), and a 2024 first-round draft choice
The Vikings Trading up With Jets in Draft Is Extremely Viable
Everyone wants to trade back in the draft, but it takes two to tango.
In this specific mock draft scenario from The 33rd Team, the Vikings would be aggressively moving up the board to select a quarterback of the future.
In rapid succession, three quarterbacks went off the board with the first three picks of the 2023 NFL draft. However, the fourth passer, Anthony Richardson of Florida, slipped all the way to No. 13.
Gang Green has its eyes set on acquiring Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers at some point this offseason so it’s unlikely they’d have interest in adding another passer in the first round.
However the same can’t be said for the Vikings who currently have Kirk Cousins penciled in as its starter. He is heading into the final year of his contract and Minnesota does not have a long-term answer at the quarterback position.
Pauline mentioned that the Jets could look to trade back from No. 13 and revealed that if they did they could be targeting a center prospect.
In this scenario, the Jets did exactly that by trading back and selecting Joe Tippmann out of Wisconsin.
“He has outstanding instincts and intelligence to be the voice of this offensive line for years to come,” The 33rd Team explained in its mock draft. “Assuming he’s snapping the ball to Aaron Rodgers, this feels like a good fit.”
Evaluating the Jets-Vikings Trade According to Draft Chart
According to the NFL draft value chart, the Jets’ No. 13 overall pick is worth 1,150 points. The combination of picks the Vikings gave up via trade is worth over 1,915 points.
This was a clear overpay by the Vikings but that can often happen in trades like this.
NFL draft experts believe there is a top-tier group of four college football quarterbacks available in April’s draft. In this scenario, Richardson was the last one left on the board from that category.
If Minnesota was in love with the former Florida product they had to ensure they landed him even if that meant overpaying to land him.
No one with the Vikings will care what they gave up if Richardson ends up being a star. However, if the move flops then it will be heavily scrutinized how much they paid to move up. That is simply the nature of the game.
On the Gang Green side of things, they were able to recoup the third-rounder they lost in the Elijah Moore trade. Additionally, the green and white added to its future draft capital with a first-rounder in 2024.
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