Vikings Trade Rumors: Ranking Best Possible Scenarios for Minny in Round 1

With Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III already locked and loaded with the top two picks, the draft truly begins when the Minnesota Vikings are on the clock with the third overall pick.

That's when this draft's intrigue begins, as well.

What will the Vikings do with that third pick? Will they trade it? Will they draft Morris Claiborne or Matt Kalil?

Questions, so many questions. Let's rank the best scenarios for the Vikings, based upon various rumors that are floating around out there.

1. Make Deal with Tampa Bay

The most logical selections for the Bucs with the No. 5 pick are Trent Richardson and Morris Claiborne, but if the Vikings are serious about selecting Claiborne and the Browns end up taking Richardson, the Bucs could be draft-day losers.

The Vikings offer them a guarantee that they'll get their guy, more than likely Richardson.

It's a rumor that has been floating around out there. We get the following from Mary Kay Cabot of the Plain Dealer:

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 5 are very interested in Richardson and might consider trading up to No. 3, league sources said.

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Bill Polian of ESPN (and prior general manager of the Indianapolis Colts) believes Minnesota should ask for Tampa Bay's fifth, 68th and 174th picks. Take a look for yourself below.

This makes a ton of sense for Minnesota. The Vikings can still land either Kalil or Claiborne when they pick at No. 5 in this scenario, and they'll add picks in the process. It would be a brilliant maneuver by the team, even it if seems unlikely to happen.

2. Make Deal with Buffalo

Buffalo seems very interested in selecting a left tackle, but sitting at pick No. 10 would leave them without a great value at the position.

Unless they trade up, that is. As Will Brinson of CBS Sports passes along, a rumored deal is already floating around:

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Charley Casserly reported on the NFL Network Wednesday night that the Bills are interested in potentially moving up to No. 3 in order to grab USC left tackle Matt Kalil. And Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News reports that the interest is "legitimate."

The reported trade being floated is a flip of first-round picks (the Bills are 10th; the Vikings obviously third) and Buffalo sending Minnesota the 41st overall pick, which is the Bills second-round selection.

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The Vikings have a decision to make. Are they willing to move down to No. 10, where players like Michael Floyd, Riley Reiff, Stephon Gilmore and Dre Kirkpatrick will still likely be available and add another second-round pick to improve several areas of this team?

Or do they want to add an elite player in this draft class and stay put?

The Vikings have a lot of holes to fill, and this is a pretty deep draft into the second round. If the Vikings nail the picks, they could end up landing three very good football players and getting a great start in their rebuilding efforts.

Bolstering the entirety of the roster is better than improving just one position in this situation.

3. Stay Put

Maybe the Rams will try to move up to the third pick, or a team like the Dolphins or Chiefs. But I doubt it. And I wouldn't move outside of the top 10 if I were the Vikings—this team still needs playmakers.

So if the deal isn't great, they're best served staying put.

You're either getting a future shutdown corner in Morris Claiborne, or a left tackle to protect last year's huge investment, first-round pick and quarterback Christian Ponder.

Kalil makes the most football sense—protecting the franchise quarterback is always a must. But Claiborne is clearly the better player in my opinion, and having a player around to match up with studs like Calvin Johnson, Brandon Marshall and Greg Jennings in the NFC North would be nice.

Either way, I don't think Minny can go wrong here. I still think a trade is in the team's best interests, but there are far worse options than staying put and adding a stud to the roster.

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