Vikings trade around, draft OL Pat Elflein in third round and add Day 3 picks

The Vikings traded up again Friday night, leaping nine spots to draft Ohio State offensive lineman Pat Elflein at 70th overall.

Elflein (6-3, 303 pounds) was named a second-team All-American right guard for the Buckeyes in 2015 before he was asked to move to center as a senior. He went on to win the Rimington Award for the nation’s most outstanding collegiate center.

He’s the third offensive lineman to join the Vikings this offseason, including free agent tackle signings Riley Reiff and Mike Remmers.

The Vikings made running back Dalvin Cook (41st overall) the team’s first draft pick of 2017 earlier Friday night.

Minnesota dealt a fifth-round pick (160th) to the Jets to move up nine spots for Elflein.

The Vikings later traded back from No. 86 overall in the third round with Kansas City. For dropping back 18 spots to No. 104, the Vikings picked up a fourth-round pick (132nd) and a seventh-round pick (245th).

Then the Vikings dealt out of the third round again, sending the 104th selection to San Francisco for a fourth-round pick (109th) and seventh-round pick (219th).

So seven picks await the Vikings on Saturday, including three fourths (109th, 120th, 132nd), a sixth (199th) and three sevenths (219th, 232nd, 245th).