Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard has been in the speculation mill most of the offseason. Moreover, heading into Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft on April 24, the question will be whether the player gets moved.
On April 20, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported, citing league sources, that the Vikings and the Philadelphia Eagles could revisit a trade for Greenard at the draft.
As a result, it will be interesting to see whether the Eagles or another team looking to improve its pass rush could make an offer to Minnesota on Day 2. On the April 24 edition of “The Alec Lewis Show,” Alec Lewis of The Athletic shared the latest regarding Greenard.
“I’ve said this from pretty much the very beginning: The Vikings don’t want to trade Jonathan Greenard unless they get a premium return,” Lewis said. “They’ve never really wanted to move him; it’s just that the contract he has been seeking is sizable. If I’m not mistaken, Greenard is going to turn 29 next month.
“So the question is, what is a premium return that makes sense? Is it a Day 2 pick plus more? Is it a third-round pick plus more? That’s obviously in the eye of the beholder. The overall point is that if a trade were to happen on [April 24], then the idea of taking an edge rusher would definitely climb from a priority perspective. This is a pretty good edge rusher class with a bunch of different types of players.”
Eagles Would See Major Upgrade In Potential Trade
Should the Eagles be the team that makes a move for Greenard on Day 2 of the draft, NFL analyst Greg Cosell believes it would be an upgrade over what the team has currently at edge rusher.
“Jonathan Greenard is a really good player,” Cosell said during an April 20 appearance on the “Ross Tucker Podcast. “ “He was a very good player in Houston. He’s been a good player in Minnesota. He’s an excellent edge pass rusher, which is obviously a weakness right now for the Eagles. They don’t have one. He’s a bendy guy, so he’d be a clear upgrade.”
With the Vikings last season, Greenard posted a 74.2 overall defensive grade from PFF, placing 31st out of 115 qualified edge defenders. His pass-rush grade came in at 77.6, good for 18th, while his 77.8 run-defense grade ranked 12th at the position.
Moreover, he finished the campaign with 47 total pressures, including four sacks, 35 hurries, and eight hits. Moreover, he recorded 24 solo tackles and forced one fumble.
Vikings Could Make Business Decision on Jonathan Greenard
Meanwhile, Chip Scoggins from The Minnesota Star Tribune shared his thoughts on a potential Greenard trade. A move will likely be now or never on Day 2 of the draft since the Vikings could look to find a replacement should a trade happen.
“What is Greenard’s camp looking for in terms of a contract, especially the size of it? “ Scoggins said on the April 18 edition of “Purple Daily.” “That is the key question. There was too much chatter about it at the combine for it to just fade away.
“Even the Vikings contingent said all the right things about loving having him on the team and valuing him, but they also made it clear this is a business, which suggests they are seriously weighing the financial side.
“Greenard is approaching his 29th birthday. The question becomes whether you want to commit significant money to a 29-year-old when you already have Dallas Turner in place. If they can get a second-round pick, it would not be surprising if they moved him during the draft.”
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