Lou Pickney's 2025 NFL Mock Draft

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The Browns want B.Russel from the Vikings. Would the Vikings Keep him for depth, or resign him, or resign him and trade him to move up. Maybe the Vikes do this on Draft day trade their 3rd and Russel to the Browns 3rd overall pick. The Browns will benefit with a starting safety and a 3rd round pick. The Vikings will benefit so they get a top WR in this years draft.

Lou: Brian Russell is in an interesting situation. He figures to be a backup in Minnesota if the Vikings keep him (more on that in a minute), with the team re-signing Corey Chavous and bringing in safety Darren Sharper from Green Bay. Cleveland wants Russell in a bad way, and it signed the restricted free agent to an offer sheet on Friday, April 1. Minnesota would not receive any compensation if Russell signed elsewhere, as Russell entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent from San Diego State. Last month, Minnesota offered Russell a one-year year worth $656,000, and I suspect that the Vikings will match the Cleveland deal (the terms of which have, to this point, been undisclosed) and keep Russell. Minnesota has until April 8 to decide.

The trade you outlined is not one that I forsee happening. Moving up from #7 to #3 will cost Minnesota a pretty penny. Anything less than two first rounders (be it this year, one this and one next, etc.) and Cleveland is getting ripped off based on precedent set by past draft pick trades.

Russell tied the league lead for interceptions in 2003 and has started the past 32 games for the Vikings. He is a valuable commodity, and it would seem improbable for the Vikings to allow him to leave for free when the team could just match the offer sheet and instead potentially trade him for a pick or keep him for good depth in the secondary.

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