Minnesota acquired Chris Herndon plus a 2022 sixth-round pick…
Minnesota acquired Chris Herndon plus a 2022 sixth-round pick from the Jets for a 2022 fourth after Irv Smith Jr. suffered a season-ending injury. Herndon played all 16 games but caught only four passes for 40 yards and one touchdown. The sixth-rounder became Vederian Lowe, whom Minnesota later traded to New England for another sixth. New York used pick No. 117 on Micheal Clemons, who has 8.5 sacks and 24 starts through four seasons. The Jets won decisively.
Minnesota Vikings Received
- player Chris Herndon
- pick 2022 6th round pick (184th overall, Vederian Lowe)
New York Jets Received
- pick 2022 4th round pick (117th overall, Micheal Clemons)
Trade Analysis
Minnesota traded for Chris Herndon just before the 2021 season after starting tight end Irv Smith Jr. suffered a meniscus injury that ended his year. The Vikings sent the Jets a 2022 fourth-round pick and received Herndon plus a 2022 sixth. The goal was immediate depth behind Tyler Conklin, with Minnesota betting that Herndon's earlier receiving success in New York could be revived in a different offense.
That never happened. Herndon appeared in all 16 games for Minnesota and made five starts, but he caught only four passes for 40 yards and one touchdown on seven targets. He played 184 offensive snaps and never became a meaningful receiving replacement for Smith. His Vikings tenure ended after that single season, making the fourth-round acquisition price look expensive almost immediately.
Minnesota did receive some continuing value from the sixth-round pick. The Vikings selected Illinois tackle Vederian Lowe at No. 184. Lowe appeared in four games as a rookie, then Minnesota traded him to New England before the 2023 season for a 2024 sixth-round selection. That secondary return means the Vikings did not simply spend a fourth for one season of Herndon.
The Jets, however, used the fourth-round pick on Texas A&M defensive lineman Micheal Clemons. Through four seasons he has appeared in 65 games with 24 starts, totaling 111 tackles and 8.5 sacks. He started all 17 games in 2024 and remained a regular defensive contributor in 2025. That is precisely the kind of durable roster value New York hoped to create by moving a veteran it no longer needed.
The existing D/B+ grades remain close, but New York's continued Clemons production warrants an A-. Minnesota stays at D because Herndon contributed almost nothing, even though Lowe later generated another pick. The Jets win clearly.