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

The Vikings needed another tight end, and they got one who still has some intriguing upside.

The Vikings have traded for Jets tight end Chris Herndon, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapaport.

The #Vikings have solved their TE issue, as they are trading for promising #Jets TE Chris Herndon in exchange for draft pick compensation, sources say. Agent @malkikawa later confirmed the deal. Herndon steps right in following Irv Smith’s knee injury.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 31, 2021

Update: the full trade details are in. The Vikings sent a 2022 fourth-rounder to the Jets for Herndon and a 2022 sixth-rounder. The official completion of the trade is pending Herndon passing a physical.

It's essentially like giving up an early fifth-rounder, based on the draft pick trade value charts

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) August 31, 2021

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.

As a rookie in 2018, Chris Herndon was PFF’s 12th highest-graded tight end out of 70 qualified players.

His best game? 6 catches for 82 yards and a TD against the Packers in Week 16. pic.twitter.com/7habuOfAkD

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) August 31, 2021

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.

At 25 years old, Herndon is just entering his physical prime. He's a solid blocker and receiver, but isn't a super explosive athlete and has had some issues with drops. Herndon has also seemed disinterested at times, according to Jets reporters. That's not surprising given that he spent last season playing for head coach Adam Gase on a team that started 0-14.

Herndon spent his first three NFL seasons catching passes from Sam Darnold, Josh McCown, and Joe Flacco. Kirk Cousins will be the best quarterback he's ever played with. Coming to a team with aspirations of contending could also be a breath of fresh air for Herndon, whose Jets went 6-26 during his two full seasons (2018 and 2020).

Giving up a fourth-rounder for Herndon and a sixth is a fairly significant price to pay, but the Vikings clearly think he's better than any TE they could've gotten on waivers. With the uncertainty surrounding Smith's injury, it made sense to get someone they think can contribute right away.

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.

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