What Are Minnesota Vikings Players Worth After a New Boss Arrived?

Imagine your favorite football team like a big toy box. Now imagine a new grown-up comes in to organize the toys. Some toys might get traded away for other toys! That’s kind of what’s happening with the Minnesota Vikings.

With Nolan Teasley as the new general manager (think of him as the team’s “main toy organizer”), nobody’s spot on the team is totally safe. Let’s break it all down in a super simple way.

Dec 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) makes a catch defended by Detroit Lions cornerback Amik Robertson (21) in the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. (Matt Krohn-Imagn Images)

Why Nothing Feels Safe on the Vikings Roster

When you look at everyone on the Minnesota Vikings roster, the only player that feels 100% untouchable (meaning definitely not getting traded) is wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

The biggest reason for all this “who might leave?” talk is the addition of new general manager Nolan Teasley.

• New people in the front office = new ideas.
• Those new ideas can change the direction of the whole team.
• That could mean players get traded, or at least placed on the “trade block” (a list of players the team is okay with trading).

Important Point: A “trade” in football is like swapping players with another team, often with draft picks (chances to pick new young players) involved.

Minnesota Vikings Roster Has Interesting Trade Values

What are some Vikings players worth if the team traded them? It’s a fun thing to guess every once in a while. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell did this for all 32 NFL teams. He placed players into groups based on what another team would give up to get them:

• Two first-round picks and more
• One first-round pick
• Just under a first-round pick

A “first-round pick” is a super valuable token: it’s the team’s top chance to pick a brand-new player in the yearly draft.

The author (Forness) thought it would be fun to compare his own opinions to Barnwell’s.

Two First-Round Picks and More

Barnwell says: WR Justin Jefferson
Forness says: WR Justin Jefferson

This one is easy! Jefferson is arguably the best receiver in the game, and he can do great in any offense. Barnwell noticed Jefferson had a worse year statistically, but says it wasn’t really his fault.

“He is coming off his worst season as a pro, but I think it seems fair to point at super inconsistent quarterback play as the biggest factor for Jefferson’s dip. We’re now firmly in his peak seasons as a 27-year-old, but if the Vikings ever did move on from their star wide receiver, there would be no shortage of interest in a player who still has to be considered one of the four best wideouts in football.”
— Bill Barnwell, ESPN

One First-Round Pick

Barnwell says: WR Jordan Addison, LG Donovan Jackson
Forness says: WR Jordan Addison, LG Donovan Jackson, OT Christian Darrisaw, EDGE Dallas Turner

This is where they disagree the most. Both agree on Addison and Jackson. But Forness thinks Darrisaw and Turner would also get a first-round pick.

• Barnwell worries about Darrisaw because he struggled coming back from an injury. But Forness says: when healthy, he’s an elite left tackle (a key blocker), so he’s easily worth a first-round pick.
• Forness really disagrees with Barnwell on Turner. Barnwell wrote:

“Turner unquestionably took a step forward last season while filling in for Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard when they were injured, but his total of eight sacks overstates his impact as a pass rusher. With Greenard going to Philadelphia, Turner will need to create pressures more often to justify the draft capital the Vikings spent to acquire him in 2024.”

Forness says that view just looks at numbers on a spreadsheet. Turner is only 22 years old and showed big growth:

1. He had 42 pressures plus 8.5 sacks.
2. He held up well against the run.
3. He was strong enough to not get pushed around.
   Because he’ll be 23 this season, Forness believes Turner should easily fetch a first-round pick.

Just Under a First-Round Pick

Barnwell says: OT Christian Darrisaw, EDGE Dallas Turner, EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel, DT Caleb Banks
Forness says: EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel, DT Caleb Banks, DT Jalen Redmond

Not a lot of difference here. Forness thinks Banks might get a first-round pick, but who would trade one before he’s played a snap (and with his injury history)?

Redmond is a surprise riser:

• He had 35 pressures and 6.5 sacks in his first full year starting.
• He’s only entering his third year.
• He’s the best defensive tackle in the NFC North (a group of teams).
  A team could definitely pay a big price for him.

Summary

• New GM Nolan Teasley makes every Viking player (except Justin Jefferson) a possible trade candidate.
• Jefferson is worth at least two first-round picks to both analysts.
• Forness values Christian Darrisaw and Dallas Turner more highly (one first-round pick) than Barnwell does.
• Jalen Redmond is a young defender climbing in trade value.
• Trade value is just a fun way to guess what teams might give up to get a player.

FAQ

Q: What does “general manager” mean in football?
A: The general manager is the person in charge of building the team—trading players, signing new ones, and making big roster decisions.

Q: What is a “first-round pick”?
A: It’s a team’s early turn to choose a new young player in the NFL Draft. The earlier the pick, the more valuable it is.

Q: Why is Justin Jefferson considered untouchable?
A: He’s one of the best receivers in football and almost no team would want to trade him away.

Q: What does “trade block” mean?
A: It’s a pretend list of players a team is willing to trade to other teams.

Q: Why do trade values matter?
A: They help fans and teams understand how valuable a player is if the team ever decided to swap them for picks or other players.