3 Losers from the Vikings’ Cam Robinson Trade

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.

The Minnesota Vikings have a 5-2 record through seven games, sitting in third place inside the NFC North. If the postseason started today, Minnesota would travel to Atlanta for a date with Kirk Cousins’ Falcons.

3 Losers from the Vikings’ Cam Robinson Trade

On Tuesday, General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah fired off a trade for Jacksonville Jaguars left tackle Cam Robinson after Christian Darrisaw tore his ACL and MCL in Week 8. Meanwhile, tight end T.J. Hockenson and offensive guard Dalton Risner will return to the active roster this week.

Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Cam Robinson (74) reacts to a catch being confirmed in favor of the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second quarter of a preseason matchup Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. © Corey Perrine / USA TODAY NETWORK.

And three “losers” became apparent in the Robinson transaction’s fallout. These are those, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = primary loser).

3. Ed Ingram

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Follow along for a moment:

  1. The Vikings could’ve moved Blake Brandel from left guard to left tackle after Christian Darrisaw’s ACL + MCL tear. Minnesota originally drafted Brandel as a tackle.
  2. Dalton Risner would’ve taken Brandel’s left guard spot.
  3. Ed Ingram’s job at right guard would’ve stayed safe with no Risner sniffing behind him.

Now, that plan is dead.

In theory, Risner could take Ingram’s RG job as soon as Sunday night.

2. The 2026 Draft Capital Bank

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If Robinson plays enough snaps in the Vikings’ remaining 10 games, Minnesota will be charged a 4th-Round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, deposited in the Jaguars’ piggybank.

Minnesota is already dealing with severely limited draft capital in the 2025 NFL Draft, and until Tuesday, 2026’s allotment remained largely untouched. Now, however, a 4th- or 5th-Rounder will be missing, and some perceive Robinson as “just a 10-game rental.” He’ll hit free agency in March.

It’s worth noting, though, that Adofo-Mensah could snag a compensatory draft pick for 2026 if Robinson bolts via free agency in 4.5 months.

1. David Quessenberry

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Sadly, any David Quessenberry fans won’t get their big night on Sunday. The Robinson trade directly disqualified Quessenberry from seeing the starting lineup. Instead, he’ll hop back to his regular ‘ol job — LT2 for the Minnesota Vikings.

Of course, the veteran lineman will be the next man up — again — if something happens injury-wise to Robinson or RT Brian O’Neill. It’s not a demotion for Quessenberry, but he had to think for about four days that LT1 for a 5-2 playoff-contending team was his new gig. No such luck.


Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL. 

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.