Vikings Trade for Jets Tight End Chris Herndon to Help During Irv Smith Jr.'s Absence

With Irv Smith Jr. out for an unknown period of time due to a meniscus injury, the Vikings needed another tight end. They got an intriguing one who still has some potential upside that could be unlocked with a change of scenery.

Herndon was drafted by the Jets in the fourth round back in 2018 after a solid career at Miami. He made an impact right away, catching 39 passes for 502 yards and four touchdowns. 64 percent of Herndon's catches went for first downs, and he was Pro Football Focus's 12th-highest graded tight end out of 70 qualified players.

He seemed to be on an upwards trajectory, but Herndon had a rough 2019. He was suspended for the first four games of the year for a violation of the NFL's policy on substances of abuse, played in one game, and then suffered a season-ending injury.

In 2020, Herndon bounced back slightly with 31 catches for 287 yards and three touchdowns.

This is a low-risk move for the Vikings to acquire a player who is likely better than any tight end they could've claimed on waivers. The compensation heading to the Jets hasn't been reported yet, but it's presumably just a late-round draft pick.

Herndon will compete with Brandon Dillon to be the Vikings' No. 2 tight end behind Tyler Conklin while Smith is out. We won't know the timetable of Smith's recovery until he has the meniscus surgery this week.