The Minnesota Vikings were willing to give up a lot in order to draft Tennessee wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. They traded their second- (No. 52), third- (No. 83), fourth- (No. 120), and seventh- round (No. 229) picks to the always trade-happy New England Patriots.
2013 NFL draft: Minnesota Vikings trade up with New England Patriots
The Vikings gave up a lot to land a wide receiver, selecting Cordarelle Patterson.
Daniel Shirey-US PRESSWIRE
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Using earlier selections on defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd and cornerback Xavier Rhodes, the Vikings lacked playmakers on offense after trading Percy Harvin. It was rumored the Vikings were looking at Manti Te'o, but instead elected to take a raw, but immensely talented wide receiver. In taking Patterson the Vikings used a total of three first-round picks in 2013.
New England seems to find a way to move down and gain picks every year, and this year they came in with only five total selections. They now have an additional three picks to play with -- a total of eight. Bill Belichick will likely continue to use these selections to diversify the Patriots’ draft, and gain additional selections in 2014.
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