Getty
Head coach Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings.
The trade talk swirling around Jonathan Greenard has slowed from storm-force winds to a mild breeze, but a couple of Minnesota Vikings insiders feel a change in weather mounting on the near horizon.
Judd Zulgad and Phil Mackey of SKOR North on Wednesday, April 15 both said they expect Greenard talks to ramp back up just ahead of, or most likely during, the NFL draft that is slightly over one week away.
“It’s been real quiet for the last month on the Greenard front,” Mackey said. “But that does feel like something that’s going to pop back up next week.”
“He might want more than teams want to pay him, which would cause a stalemate with the teams he’s talking to. But it does seem like it’s ripe for a draft-week trade where a team decides, ‘Screw it. We need a guy who can get to the quarterback.’ Greenard can do that,” Zulgad added. “So, since it’s sort of died off … it seems like a draft type of thing.”
Vikings Perhaps Willing to Take 2nd-Round Pick for Jonathan Greenard
GettyMinnesota Vikings pass-rusher Jonathan Greenard.
As far as the return for Greenard, who has two years remaining on his $76 million contract and wants a significant raise to match his production, Zulgad said he believes Minnesota will accept a second-round draft asset this year.
“I think they take a second-round pick, because I don’t think they wanna pay him,” Zulgad continued. “He does not make much right now, and I don’t know that the Vikings wanna make a major investment.”
Greenard will play next season at 29 years old and missed the final five games of 2025 with a shoulder injury that required surgery. He was a Pro Bowler during his first year with Minnesota in 2024, tallying 22 QB hits, 18 tackles for loss and 12 sacks. Greenard put up a career-high 12.5 sacks the campaign prior.
His numbers fell off to a degree last season, in part due to the injury. Greenard finished the year with 12 QB hits, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks and three pass breakups. However, his advanced metrics painted a picture of an efficient player who consistently created pressure.
According to Pro Football Focus, Greenard was the 31st-ranked edge defender out of 115 players who saw enough snaps to qualify at the position. He tallied 47 total pressures and 35 hurries across 270 pass-rush snaps over 12 games played.
Dallas Turner Looks Ready to Start at Edge-Rusher Entering 3rd NFL Season
GettyMinnesota Vikings edge-rusher Dallas Turner.
All that said, Minnesota has 2024 first-round pick Dallas Turner in waiting as a ready-made replacement for Greenard.
Turner has been the No. 3 pass-rusher on the team behind Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel for the past two years. Turner produced 15 QB hits, 11 tackles for loss, eight sacks, four forced fumbles and three pass breakups last season alone.
He played in all 17 games but started only 10, amassing that production, along with 42 pressures and 27 hurries, on 288 pass-rush snaps.
Several teams could have interest in a player like Greenard, including the Philadelphia Eagles, Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions, both NFC North Division rivals, also have pass-rushing needs.
Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible
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