Eagles Trade Up with Vikings for Draft Star to Replace Gardner-Johnson

Howie Roseman is at it again. The Philadelphia Eagles’ GM, armed with a war chest of draft picks, is making waves in the 2025 NFL Draft. Sources tell ESPN the Eagles are trading up with the Minnesota Vikings, jumping from No. 32 to No. 24 to land Georgia safety Malaki Starks—a move that screams Roseman’s signature draft-day aggression.

The deal? Philly sends its first-rounder (No. 32), a 2025 fifth-round pick, and a 2026 third-rounder to Minnesota. In return, they snag a versatile defensive weapon to fill the void left by C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s exit. The Eagles have 20 picks lined up across 2025 and 2026—12 in ‘26 alone—and Roseman’s clearly not afraid to cash in some late-round chips for a blue-chip talent.

Starks, dubbed a “football savant” by NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks, is a 6’1”, 197-pound menace who moves like a corner and hits like a linebacker. With rare instincts and center-field range, he’s the kind of hybrid safety Vic Fangio can deploy anywhere in Philly’s secondary. Think Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean got company—this kid’s a plug-and-play star.

Minnesota, meanwhile, cashes out with extra picks—vital for a team with just four selections this year. The Vikings stay in Round 1, grabbing Kentucky CB Maxwell Hairston at No. 32 to bolster their own shaky secondary. It’s a win-win, but the spotlight’s on Philly.

Eagles fans might grumble about their fifth-round haul (Nos. 161, 164, 165, 168), but Roseman’s betting on quality over quantity. After cutting Gardner-Johnson loose, the secondary needed a jolt, and Starks fits the bill. The Georgia-to-Philly pipeline—think Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean—keeps pumping out gold. Mark April—this could be another Roseman heist.