On the occasion of Jahvid Best's breakout game Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles -- he became the first rookie in NFL history to finish a game with at least 75 rushing yards, 150 receiving yards and three touchdowns in one game -- I think it's time to start formally tracking the intra-division trade that brought him to the Detroit Lions.
As you recall, the Lions traded into the first round to select Best. In exchange for the No. 30 overall pick, they gave the Minnesota Vikings the No. 34 overall pick and a seventh-rounder (No. 214 overall). The teams also swapped fourth-round picks, with the Vikings moving up to No. 100 overall and the Lions moving back to No. 128 overall.
Like the Lions, the Vikings had a definite need at running back. The Lions sought out Best, and the Vikings tacitly passed him up. Instead, they filled that hole by trading up in the second round to draft Toby Gerhart at No. 51 overall.
I realize some of this is an apples-to-oranges comparison because Gerhart technically wasn't a part of this trade. But in the end, both teams needed a running back. One landed Best and the other ended up with Gerhart and some better/extra picks.
Regardless, I still think it's worth watching whether Gerhart proves to be a productive consolation and if the other pieces the Vikings landed -- most notably cornerback Chris Cook (No. 34) and defensive end Everson Griffen (No. 100) make the trade worthwhile.
The charts below show what the five players involved in this trade, along with Gerhart, have done in the first two games of the season. We'll keep an eye on this dynamic throughout the year and update when appropriate.
