The Minnesota Vikings decided it was in their best interest on draft day to let Jameson Williams play for a rival team by trading away the No. 12 pick to the Detroit Lions so they could select him instead.
By trading away the No. 12 overall pick to the Detroit Lions, the Minnesota Vikings essentially handed Alabama star wide receiver Jameson Williams to a division rival on a Honolulu blue and silver platter.
Clearly scared to death about the chances of drafting the next Christian Ponder regardless of position at No. 12, the Vikings found an unusual trade partner in the Lions, who wanted to move up all the way from No. 32. Fate would have it, the Vikings were looking at drafting Williams anyway at No. 12. Just imagine him playing in the same receiving corps with Justin Jefferson…
Instead, the Vikings drafted a hard-hitting defensive back Mike Zimmer would have loved at No. 32 in Lewis Cine out of Georgia. In Kwesi we trust, they say.
The Vikings let Motor City Dan Campbell rip Jameson Williams away from them
Powered two venti double shots on ice and getting a Michigan man in Aidan Hutchinson at No. 2, Lions head coach Motor City Dan Campbell charged through 20 picks of first-round nonsense to get what he wanted: That shot of Jamo. Williams may have suffered a season-ending injury at Alabama, but he was arguably the best wide receiver in this draft class. The Lions just got a dog!
This is where having Jim Harbaugh in the Vikings’ war room would have made a huge difference. Powered by a tall glass of milk and a well-done porterhouse steak, Harbaugh would have stood his ground and turned Campbell into the nervous bird he is. Instead, the Lions took the Vikings’ lunch money and bit them in the knee cap afterwards. This was an NFL Draft highway robbery.
So while Williams becomes the next Calvin Johnson or Herman Moore in Motown, the Vikings will have to deal with the fact they did a division rival a massive favor. This is more embarrassing than reaching on Ponder, trading for Herschel Walker, Brett Favre throwing across his body, not being able to draft a player on time or Gary Anderson missing a field goal. They just helped the Lions win.
Not sure it will happen, but for the sake of all things petty, Williams should rock the No. 12 jersey.