Vikings GM can finally strike gold by pulling off trade for former first rounder entering his prime

Over the first two and a half years of his tenure as Minnesota Vikings general manager, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has explored every option to improve the roster. He's made trades of all kinds in trying to add draft capital and players to help the franchise win their first-ever Super Bowl.

One of his trademarks has been to buy low on high-upside players. He's taken chances on former top-40 picks in wide receiver Jalen Reagor and defensive tackle Ross Blacklock. In a lesser move, Adofo-Mensah just traded Andrew Booth Jr. for former 99th overall pick Nahshon Wright in trying to use the same strategy in a different way.

Could Adofo-Mensah try using the same approach again?

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's history with player trades

Last year, Adofo-Mensah didn't make a trade in prioritizing a high-upside top-40 pick with a trade. Reagor cost the Vikings a conditional fifth-round pick (didn't meet conditions to elevate to a fourth) and a seventh-round pick and Blacklock came with a seventh-round pick for a sixth-round pick. These moves are low-risk due to their cost, but new surroundings can help take talent

Neither of those trades ended up working out but the thought process was solid. If you can hit on a trade like this, you can get high-level play for a very inexpensive price. If you end up missing, it's a very low cost, especially if it's a pick swap like with Blacklock.

The other element with player trades is acquiring an impact player. The Vikings traded two second-round picks for T.J. Hockenson and third and fourth-round picks. Doing so helped elevate the Vikings' passing attack to a lethal one for years to come.

Jahan Dotson could be the next Vikings trade target

The Vikings love to attack premium positions with talent and they could try to do so again this year. After being a first-round pick in 2022, Washington Commanders receiver Jahan Dotson could become available.

Dotson has seemingly fallen out of favor with the Commanders and as Rosenthal mentions, and our own Evan Winter hasn't been impressed with Dotson.

The Jahan Dotson talk really started picking up after the wideout played the most snaps out of any other Commanders wideout against the Jets.

The former first-rounder has had an up and down camp, which isn’t ideal coming off a down year. There has also been speculation from those at camp about Dotson’s attitude and standing with the coach staff.

Washington is perilously thin at WR outside Terry McLaurin, but a trade would make sense, at the right price. Especially when considering the team’s plans for the long haul.

Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury talked about Dotson last week and he didn't seem supremely confident in Dotson moving forward.

"He has tremendous ball skills. He's played in a couple different systems since he's gotten into the league. And i think once he gets comfortable with us, whether it's inside, outside, I think you're going to see him just really take off. He had a great catch today, but the one thing I like about him is when you challenge him and you ask him to compete his tail off and make the plays. And so, been really happy with what I've seen for him. I love his competitive nature and I think he's just going to continue to get better. I can tell him and Jayden have a good rapport, which is encouraging."

Dotson burst onto the scene in 2022 as a rookie with a two-touchdown game in his NFL debut. He was thought of as a reach when the Commanders selected him at 16th overall but hat game opened some eyes. Ultimately, it didn't last. In just 12 games, Dotson caught 35 passes for 523 yards and seven touchdowns.

The thought was that, after dealing with injuries in 2022, 2023 would be a breakout year for him. That didn't happen. He caught 49 passes for five fewer yards than his rookie season at 518 with just four touchdowns. He started all but one game for the Commanders and couldn't produce at an improved level.

Why would the Vikings be interested? Yes, Jalen Nailor has taken steps to earn the WR3 job, but he doesn't have quite the same pedigree that Dotson does. Even so, why not have a fourth receiver you can potentially rely on? Jordan Addison is facing a potential suspension and Justin Jefferson missed time for the first time in his career. What if it happens again?

Dotson, like Reagor before him, has utility on special teams. He returned 25 punts at Penn State for 338 yards (13.5 average) and a touchdown. While Brandon Powell is likely the punt returner, having depth there is always a good thing.

What would a Dotson trade cost?

This is the intriguing element of the conversation. What would a team be willing to take for a first-round pick that is entering year three? Could it be as high as a fourth-round pick? Even if Dotson isn't going to be kept on the roster, it wouldn't be good business for new general manager to take small package like a seventh-round pick.

The likely scenario is something similar to the Reagor trade: a conditional fifth-round pick and a seventh-round pick. Something in that range would make sense for a market price. Would the Vikings be willing to pay it? Maybe in 2026 draft capital as they don't have much to offer in 2025 with just three picks and a conditional third round pick likely on the way.

Should Adofo-Mensah want to make the move? It all depends on if they believe he liked Dotson pre-draft and during his time with the Commanders.

Related: Vikings place J.J. McCarthy on season-ending injured reserve, sign UFL champion in his place