5 players worth trading the Vikings' first-round pick (and maybe more) for

GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings have already been busy adding to their roster this year, acquiring Cam Akers and Cam Robinson in recent deals. There could be more moves before the deadline on Tuesday afternoon, perhaps on the defensive side. And if Adofo-Mensah really wants to make a splash, here are five players who would be worth trading next year's first-round pick (and maybe more) to land. These are the kind of stars you acquire to then build up and shape a big part of your future.

Note: Every single one of these should be considered highly unlikely, especially further down the list, but it's still fun to think about!

The Vikings saw firsthand how good Reed is when they played the Jets in London. The 5-foot-10 veteran is one of the most consistent cornerbacks in the NFL, ranking third in PFF grade among cornerbacks with at least 200 snaps played. Opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of 63.8 when running his coverage assignments. He is a legitimate No. 1 corner approaching his 28th birthday.

Reed is a free agent after this season and is playing on a 2-6 Jets team that may want to consider rebuilding mode given an extremely disappointing season. If I were on the Vikings, I would trade my departed first-rounder for Reed and then immediately sign him to a big contract extension. He's that good.

Another option the Vikings could consider at cornerback is Horn, the No. 8 overall pick in 2021. He still has his rookie contract and has a fifth-year option in 2025. Horn was a very good player for Carolina when healthy, but injuries have limited him to 30 games in 3.5 seasons. He is healthy at the moment and performing at a high level.

The 1-7 Panthers don't necessarily want to move Horn, but that's out of the question. The Vikings, who haven't shied away from playing against injury-prone players, could look to extend him and make him their No. 1 cornerback of the future. As a reminder, all three of their starters this season – Stephon Gilmore, Byron Murphy Jr. and Shaq Griffin – are pending free agents.

This one feels even less realistic, but can you imagine? Lattimore, a four-time Pro Bowler, is a shutdown corner who has allowed just eight receptions all season. He's in the third year of a five-year, $97 million contract, so the Saints would end up eating up a lot of dead money if they traded him, but they're also 2-6 and going nowhere. The 28-year-old would immediately add tremendous value to the Vikings' secondary. His base salary is around $16 million in 2025 and 2026, which isn't crazy.

Tennessee reportedly has no intention of trading Simmons, but Adofo-Mensah should check in with his friend Ran Carthon (the two worked together in the 49ers' front office) a few more times just to be safe. Simmons is exactly the type of devastating defensive tackle that could transform the Vikings' defense and help take them to the next level. The two-time Pro Bowler had a bit of a slow start to this season, but in the last few weeks he has returned to his old habits.

Simmons is in the first year of a big contract and won't be a free agent until 2028, so the 1-6 Titans may want to keep him as part of their core. But the Vikings should offer the first and a few other picks for next year just to see if there's a chance of luring him away.

The great white whale of the Vikings trade deadline, at least from a fan perspective, is Lawrence. He is one of the best players in the NFL and would take Minnesota's defense from threatening to unstoppable. Lawrence has been one of the league's most dominant defensive stars since moving to nose tackle in 2022, leading all players with 9 sacks in 8 games this year. He's incredibly good at what he does – and what he does happens to be one of the glaring weaknesses on the Vikings' roster.

But even though the Giants are 2-6, Lawrence is under contract through 2028 and seems unlikely to be moved. At the very least, it would likely take the Vikings' next two first-round picks to get into the stadium.