Minnesota traded the 18th pick in the 1981 draft to Baltimore…
Minnesota traded the 18th pick in the 1981 draft to Baltimore for two second-rounders and a fifth-rounder, selecting Mardye McDole, Jarvis Redwine, and Wendell Ray. The quantity did not translate into comparable NFL value. Baltimore used No. 18 on Donnell Thompson, who became an 11-year Colt, started 143 games, and provided the durable return that decides the trade.
Indianapolis Colts Received
- pick 1981 first round pick (#18-Donnell Thompson (b. 1958-10-27))
Minnesota Vikings Received
- pick 1981 second round pick (#39-Mardye McDole)
- pick 1981 second round pick (#52-Jarvis Redwine)
- pick 1981 fifth round pick (#123-Wendell Ray)
Trade Analysis
The original grading favored Minnesota because three selections came back for one first-round pick. The career results reverse that conclusion. Baltimore sent the 39th, 52nd, and 123rd choices to Minnesota for No. 18, then used the first-rounder on defensive end Donnell Thompson. The Colts' official transaction history confirms the full pick exchange and the players selected with those choices.
Thompson became exactly the kind of durable starter a team hopes to secure when it moves up. He spent his entire 11-year NFL career with the Colts, appearing in 147 games and starting 143. The club has also credited him with 41 sacks and a place on the 1981 PFWA All-Rookie team. His career provided sustained value through multiple eras of the franchise.
Minnesota did not receive an equivalent payoff from the larger package. Mardye McDole and Jarvis Redwine had limited NFL impact, and fifth-rounder Wendell Ray did not develop into a comparable long-term contributor. Acquiring three shots was a defensible draft strategy, but the outcome matters when grading a historical trade. The Vikings turned a premium first-round slot into depth-level results while the Colts secured more than a decade of starting defensive-line play.
That gap warrants a substantial correction to the verdict. Baltimore/Indianapolis earns an A- because Thompson delivered high durability and meaningful production at No. 18. Minnesota receives a D+ because the three-pick package looked attractive on paper but failed to produce a core player. This is a Colts win, not a Vikings win, once the actual careers are placed at the center of the evaluation.