Here’s a message to general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah with the Vikings sitting at 6-2 heading into the trade deadline.

You can’t take this start for granted.

After escaping with a 21-13 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night at U.S. Bank Stadium, the Vikings have a legitimate pathway to be 8-2 with games against the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans coming up.

These opportunities don’t come around very often.

That’s why the Vikings need to make some sort of move on Tuesday afternoon to improve a roster that might be capable of competing for a Super Bowl.

There’s no debate that the Detroit Lions are the best team in the NFC at the moment. They are destroying their opponents on a weekly basis as they have seemingly hit another gear over the past month. Frankly, it’s hard to imagine anybody else ending up with the No. 1 seed.

That said, the Vikings can make an argument that they are the next best team in the NFC based on their resume, and it’s worth leaning into that at the trade deadline.

As impressive as the Vikings have been so far this season, they clearly have some weaknesses that need to be addressed.

The biggest area of concern for the Vikings exists in the trenches on defense. That’s not a knock on defensive tackles Harrison Phillips, Jonathan Bullard, or Jerry Tillery. That trio has given everything it can to defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

It’s simply a fact that the Vikings could benefit from another player capable of generating pressure up the middle.

The white whale among the fan base is star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, though it’s hard to imagine the New York Giants parting ways with the best player at his position in his prime. There’s also thought of taking a swing for defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons if the Tennessee Titans are willing to move on from him.

Now, if the Vikings are somehow able to work something out to acquire Lawrence or Simmons, they should pull the trigger regardless of how much it costs. Not only are both players extremely impactful, they also would come with team control.

A more realistic option, however, might be somebody like veteran defensive tackle Calais Campbell. He’s currently employed by the struggling Miami Dolphins in the twilight of his career at 38 years old.

Even if his numbers don’t jump off the page — he has a pair of sacks to his name, to go along with a half dozen pressures — Campbell would improve the interior of the defensive line without costing too much at a fraction of the cost compared to some of his peers.

The other place the Vikings could use some help is in the secondary as cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore, Shaq Griffin, and Byron Murphy Jr. are being asked to do a lot right now.

Some of the big names that could potentially be on the market include Jaycee Horn, if the Carolina Panthers decided they want to keep kicking the can down the road, or Marshon Lattimore, if the New Orleans Saints decide they’re finally ready to stomach a rebuild.

As much as the Vikings would love to have either of those players if the price is right, somebody like veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones might be more attainable. He’s a member of the New England Patriots and would welcome a chance to play for a contender.

Never mind that the acquisition of Jones wouldn’t make headlines as the splashiest move of the trade deadline. He has shown the ability to play man coverage, and thus, he could help add some depth to a position group that sorely needs it.

It’s likely that Adofo-Mensah has been continuing to work the phones since acquiring left tackle Cam Robinson last week as a replacement for injured Christian Darrisaw.

That move showed the Vikings are still very much invested in this season. Here’s to hoping they do something else at the trade deadline to hammer home that point even more.