Minnesota traded two third-round selections, Nos. 83 and 95,…
Minnesota traded two third-round selections, Nos. 83 and 95, to Pittsburgh for No. 64 and drafted quarterback Tarvaris Jackson. Jackson never became a long-term franchise starter, but he started 20 games for the Vikings, helped them reach the 2008 playoffs and remained in the NFL for a decade. Pittsburgh selected safety Anthony Smith and receiver Willie Reid; neither became a lasting Steelers starter, leaving Minnesota with the better return.
Minnesota Vikings Received
- pick 2006 2nd round pick (64th overall, Tarvaris Jackson)
Pittsburgh Steelers Received
- pick 2006 3rd round pick (83rd overall, Anthony Smith)
- pick 2006 3rd round pick (95th overall, Willie Reid)
Trade Analysis
Minnesota's new coaching staff wanted a developmental quarterback in the 2006 draft and identified Alabama State's Tarvaris Jackson as the target. The Vikings did not wait for their original third-round position. They sent selections Nos. 83 and 95 to Pittsburgh for No. 64, the final pick of the second round, and selected Jackson. The move was a meaningful investment in traits and upside rather than a bet on a polished immediate starter.
Jackson's Minnesota career was uneven, but it was more substantial than the shorthand of a failed quarterback pick suggests. He started two games as a rookie, 12 in 2007 and five during the 2008 regular season, when Minnesota won the NFC North. He also started that season's wild-card loss to Philadelphia. Across his Vikings tenure, Jackson completed 58.7 percent of his passes and showed enough athletic ability to remain part of the club's plans through 2010, though inconsistency and the arrival of Brett Favre prevented him from becoming the permanent answer. He later built a long career as a respected backup and won a Super Bowl ring with Seattle.
Pittsburgh converted the two third-round selections into safety Anthony Smith and receiver/returner Willie Reid. Smith flashed as a young defender and made several starts, but his Steelers stay lasted only three seasons. Reid appeared in a handful of games and never established himself as a meaningful receiver or return specialist. The Steelers gained two chances by moving down, yet neither choice developed into a player with the longevity or usage Jackson provided Minnesota.
The Vikings do not deserve an elite grade because they moved up for a quarterback who never secured the job for good. Still, quarterbacks who provide 20 starts, help a team reach the postseason and remain viable NFL players for years have real second-round value. Pittsburgh's return was below average despite receiving two selections. Minnesota earns a B for extracting the better player and several seasons of functional quarterback play; Pittsburgh lands at C because the trade-down logic was sound but the chosen players failed to create a comparable return.