Things haven't gone according to plan for either the Minnesota Vikings or New York Jets this season, leading to plenty of trade rumors swirling about Kirk Cousins. The Vikings' quarterback has played well early in the season but is on an expiring contract, leaving Minnesota with a tough decision to make about its future.
A pivot to tanking for Caleb Williams, widely considered to be a generational quarterback prospect, would be a bold direction for Minnesota that could set the stage for their future. There is also potential here to take advantage of desperation from the talented Jets, who fell to 1-2 after a second straight bad performance from Zach Wilson threatens to torpedo their season.
The rest of the Jets' roster is too talented to waste on a Wilson season while head coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas could find themselves on the hot seat if a year that began with Super Bowl expectations turns into a disaster thanks to one injury. With that in mind, let's take a look at three assets the Vikings should try and target from the Jets in a trade.
3 trade assets the Vikings should target from the Jets in a Kirk Cousins deal
1. New York's 2025 first-round pick
The Vikings might as well shoot for the moon and try extracting a first-round pick from the Jets for Cousins, who could give them a legitimate shot to make the postseason while Rodgers rehabs from his Achilles' injury. New York's 2024 first-rounder is technically locked in escrow as a result of trade conditions tied to the Rodgers deal with the Green Bay Packers, making the 2025 first the earliest top pick the Jets can move.
Securing that pick would give Minnesota another huge asset to either use to draft a foundational player or as part of a trade package in April to go get a franchise quarterback. Looking to take advantage of potential desperation from the Jets would require at least asking for that first-round pick.
2. DE Bryce Huff
The Jets' pass rush is its biggest defensive strength and they simply have too many bodies to utilize all of them effectively. One edge rusher who could make an instant impact is Bryce Huff, who flashes on tape but doesn't get nearly enough playing time with the sheer volume of pass rushers the Jets have.
Huff is a pending free agent at the end of the year that the Jets would have a hard time retaining so trying to get him in a Cousins deal makes a ton of sense. New York would probably be willing to move him to find more work for first-round pick Will McDonald on defense and the 25-year old Huff could be a valuable addition to the Minnesota defense for the long term.
3. New York Jets' 2024 third-round pick
While the Jets' first-round pick in 2024 is still under lock and key, the highest pick New York has available to move is their third-rounder. It would behoove Minnesota to get some kind of immediate draft capital in a trade so insisting on both this choice and the 2025 first-rounder would be the kind of overpay that could make pulling the rip cord on the 2023 season in Week 4 worth it.
The odds of a team making the playoffs after an 0-3 start historically are 2.5 percent, which is a tall hill to climb for Minnesota in a division with ascending Detroit and a solid Green Bay team. Selling high on Cousins makes a ton of sense and they might have a desperate buyer if the Jets start to panic after two consecutive duds from Wilson.