Minnesota traded picks No. 79 and No. 160 to the Jets for No.…
Minnesota traded picks No. 79 and No. 160 to the Jets for No. 70, then selected center Pat Elflein. Elflein became an immediate starter, earned PFWA All-Rookie honors and started 43 games for the Vikings across four seasons. New York selected ArDarius Stewart at No. 79 and later moved the fifth-round asset through additional trades, but its resulting players did not match the sustained starting value Minnesota received.
Minnesota Vikings Received
- pick 2017 3rd round pick (70th overall, Pat Elflein)
New York Jets Received
- pick 2017 3rd round pick (79th overall, ArDarius Stewart)
- pick 2017 5th round pick (160th overall subsequently traded, Roderick Johnson)
Trade Analysis
What Changed Hands
Minnesota sent the Jets third-round pick No. 79 and fifth-round pick No. 160 for No. 70 during the 2017 draft. The Vikings selected Ohio State center Pat Elflein. New York used No. 79 on Alabama receiver ArDarius Stewart and later traded No. 160, continuing to move around the board rather than making a selection with the original fifth-round asset.
Why Minnesota Won the Deal
Elflein immediately became Minnesota's starting center and earned PFWA All-Rookie recognition. He started 14 games as a rookie, returned from offseason surgeries in 2018 and remained a starter through 2019 before shifting to guard. Across four Vikings seasons he made 43 starts. His performance was uneven enough that Minnesota eventually moved on, but that volume of starting offensive-line play is meaningful value from a third-round trade-up.
How New York's Return Aged
Stewart never developed into the receiving weapon the Jets expected, finishing his NFL career with six receptions for 82 yards. New York did create more draft flexibility with No. 160, but the later chain did not produce a comparable multi-year Jets starter. Moving down and adding capital was defensible on draft night; the problem was that the selections and subsequent moves did not convert that capital into enough on-field production. Minnesota, by contrast, received useful starting snaps almost immediately and sustained them across several seasons.
Final Verdict
Minnesota earns a B+ and New York a D+. Elflein was not a franchise center, but four years of starting work easily beat the Jets' limited return. Minnesota Vikings Win.