The Minnesota Vikings have seen their receiving corps thinned ahead of the 2025 NFL season by Jordan Addison’s three-game suspension and Rondale Moore’s season-ending knee injury.
That may inspire general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to add to the position ahead of Week 1.
The Vikings are “seriously exploring veteran receivers in the trade market” given the absences in their receiving corps, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports. The goal would be to pair the veteran with Justin Jefferson – who is expected to play in Week 1 after missing several weeks of training camp with a hamstring injury – until Addison returns to the field in Week 4.
Minnesota is armed with a respectable $26.4 million in salary cap space, per OverTheCap.com. That will enable to the team to easily absorb salary in any trade involving a wide receiver.
The question is whether the Vikings will be looking for a stopgap to help replace Addison or whether they will consider swinging bigger as they look to surround first-year starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy with as much talent as possible.
Here are some options the Vikings could consider pursuing.
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Vikings WR trade targets
Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders
If the Vikings want to swing big at receiver, they could consider trying to pry McLaurin away from Washington. The 29-year-old requested a trade amid a contract dispute with the Commanders, and the team could eventually capitulate to his demand if it can’t bridge the gap on a long-term extension.
McLaurin has posted five consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons and logged a career-best 13 touchdowns in his first season with Jayden Daniels. He is a consistent separator and a sharp route runner who would create a top-tier receiving trio alongside Jefferson and Addison.
Add in that McLaurin overlapped with Kevin O’Connell for two years in Washington and he should be able to quickly ingratiate himself into Minnesota’s offense.
K.J. Osborn, Washington Commanders
If the Vikings don’t target McLaurin, they could still swing a deal with Washington. Osborn is firmly on the Commanders’ roster bubble, so they could consider shipping the 28-year-old back to Minnesota, where he enjoyed the best seasons of his career.
The Vikings selected Osborn in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft and he recorded 158 catches for 1,845 yards and 15 touchdowns across four seasons with the team. He served as the team’s No. 3 receiver in 2023, Addison’s rookie season, and could reprise that role with the Vikings for this campaign.
Kendrick Bourne, New England Patriots
The Patriots have some difficult roster decisions to make at receiver. Bourne, Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker are all on the roster bubble, so the Vikings could pursue any to add depth to their receiver room.
Bourne – a nine-year veteran who has played 111 games and made 292 catches during his career – is the most experienced of the bunch. That may make him the best option fro the Vikings, who could use him as an early-season No. 2 receiver across from Jefferson before shifting him into the No. 3 role upon Addison’s return.
Allen Lazard, New York Jets
Lazard spent five years with the Green Bay Packers, giving the Vikings plenty of opportunities to watch him play. He disappointed during his two seasons with the New York Jets, but his 83 career games played and his 6-5, 227-pound frame would add needed experience and size to Minnesota’s receiver room.
Brandin Cooks, Saints
Cooks has been traded four times during his career. Could the Saints make it a fifth? New Orleans signed the 2014 first-round pick to a two-year deal in the offseason, but the soon-to-be 32-year-old may not fit the timeline of their rebuild.
If the Vikings come calling, the Saints could be comfortable rolling with Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed as their top receivers while elevating some of their young talent at receiver. Cooks has notched 1,000-yard receiving seasons with four different teams but is coming off a career-low 29 catches for 259 yards and three touchdowns across 10 games with the Dallas Cowboys in 2024.
Diontae Johnson, Cleveland Browns
Johnson has been on four different teams in the last year, and was infamously released by the Baltimore Ravens after refusing to play in a game because he was cold. He signed with the Browns during the offseason to try to rebuild his value, but the 29-year-old may not make Cleveland’s final roster.
Johnson was a capable starter for five years with the Pittsburgh Steelers before his trying 2024 season. O’Connell may smell an opportunity to buy low on the Toledo product and see if he can coach the 2021 Pro Bowler back into his top form while Addison is suspended.
Vikings WR depth chart
Below is the pecking order of Minnesota’s top-six receivers according to the Vikings’ most recent depth chart:
Justin Jefferson*
Jordan Addison*
Jalen Nailor
Lucky Jackson
Tai Felton
Jeshaun Jones
* Denotes starter.
Any receiver the Vikings acquire would likely join the top-six group. However, it isn’t clear if he would immediately catapult into the top three or have to work his way up the depth chart.
If Minnesota doesn’t land a veteran wide-out, one of the other receivers on its roster – Silas Bolden, Dontae Fleming, Tim Jones, Robert Lewis, Myles Price and Thayer Thomas – would potentially have a chance to make the 53-man roster during Addison’s suspension.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vikings ‘seriously exploring’ WR trade, per report: Top targets, more
