Jonathan Greenard trade grades for Eagles, Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings have talked about trading edge rusher Jonathan Greenard since the beginning of the offseason. Greenard did not show up to Minnesota’s offseason program because of the consistent trade rumors. But Greenard finally found a new home during Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Minnesota agreed to trade Greenard to Philadelphia on Friday night. The Eagles immediately gave Greenard a four-year contract extension worth $100 million following the deal.

Now the Vikings have more draft picks and cap space to retool their roster while the Eagles gain a starting-caliber edge rusher.

So which team came out on top in this one? Or is this one of those rare trades that works out well for both teams?

Here are trade grades for both sides of the Greenard trade.

Eagles replenish edge rusher position at a reasonable price

Philadelphia really wanted to add Greenard during the draft. Eagles GM Howie Roseman apparently kept Greenard on his radar throughout the offseason, checking in with the Vikings at various points.

Greenard projects as an immediate starter in Philly opposite of Nolan Smith Jr. The Eagles desperately needed reinforcements after losing Jaelen Phillips in NFL free agency.

It will be fascinating to see which version of Greenard shows up in Philadelphia during the 2026 season.

Greenard had a down year in 2025, only managing 38 total tackles, three sacks, and one forced fumble in 12 games played. But the 28-year-old edge rusher has flashed potential in the past, putting up 12+ sacks in back-to-back seasons before 2025.

The Eagles have a pretty stacked defense, so perhaps playing alongside better talent will improve Greenard’s game.

Philadelphia’s grade get downgraded a little bit because of Greenard’s $100 million extension. If this trade does not work out for the Eagles, then their salary cap could become a problem in the future.

Still, Roseman knows how to wheel and deal with the best of them. He deserves the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise.

Grade: A-

Vikings gain flexibility following Greenard trade

This trade is all about flexibility for Minnesota.

Make no mistake, taking Greenard out of Brian Flores’ defense is a big loss. But the Vikings simply had no choice given their salary cap conundrum.

Minnesota gained two third-round picks in exchange for Greenard. They received the 98th overall pick, which became Miami safety Jakobe Thomas, as well as a 2027 third-round pick.

But the more important part of the deal is getting rid of Greenard’s massive contract.

Minnesota saves a whopping $34 million in cap space by trading Greenard. per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Vikings now have roughly $16 million in cap space, which is a much better situation than they had at the beginning of the offseason.

Fortunately, the Vikings had former first-rounder Dallas Turner waiting in the wings at edge rusher. He can step in and play Greenard’s role right away.

Minnesota is a bit of a directionless franchise at the moment with no permanent general manager in place. But this trade needed to happen to guarantee the long-term stability of the franchise.

Good deal by the Vikings, though it is hard to say they’ll be better during the 2026 season.

Grade: B+

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