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This Vikings-Colts Trade for Malik Hooker Would Replenish Minnesota's Depleted Secondary

By Steven Kubitza

The Minnesota Vikings should call the Indianapolis Colts about a Malik Hooker trade.
The Minnesota Vikings should call the Indianapolis Colts about a Malik Hooker trade. / Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

The Indianapolis Colts are reportedly ready to move on from Malik Hooker after taking him with the No. 15 overall pick in 2017. His name has appeared in trade rumors in recent days, and that should interest plenty of teams around the league -- who doesn't need a hard-hitting safety?!

The ballhawk is still on his rookie deal and has seven interceptions in his first three seasons. Injuries have been a concern, but he is still only 24 years old, with plenty of projectability ahead of him. One team that could make an interesting offer in exchange for Hooker is the Minnesota Vikings.

The offer would see the Vikings swap safety Anthony Harris in exchange for Hooker. Harris is set to earn $11.44 million on the franchise tag in 2020 and is a free agent after the season. He is 28 years old and won't command as much money as Hooker will when the former first-round pick hits free agency. Right now, Hooker still has his fifth-year option waiting to be picked up.

This is a win for the Vikings as well because Hooker could become a young, long-term piece in a secondary where Harris and Harrison Smith are the only true safeties currently on the roster. Andrew Sendejo and Jayron Kearse both found new homes and the Vikings could build around Hooker, as opposed to the older, lesser, and more expensive Harris, who doesn't seem to be in the team's long-term plans.

The Colts would be taking a gamble by trading away their 2017 first-round pick. Yet Harris had six interceptions in 2019, and is a more experienced player looking for a fresh start. That fits the team's plans of winning in the short-term, and avoids spending a fortune on a player who has not been elite in his first three seasons. The Vikings would be taking a chance here on potential, as Hooker's scuffled with consistency and run into injury issues over the past few seasons, never reaching a full 16-game schedule.

But a year of evaluation ahead of a big extension instead of an Anthony Harris headache? Could make sense.