Kirk Cousins Compensatory Pick Could Foreshadow Sam Darnold Fallout
On Tuesday, the Minnesota Vikings were awarded a compensatory draft pick for April’s NFL Draft. That selection happens to be in the 3rd round and the 33rd overall pick. That makes it the highest compensatory draft pick awarded to any franchise this cycle.
Kirk Cousins Compensatory Pick Could Foreshadow Sam Darnold Fallout
Thank you, Kirk Cousins.
No, really. When Cousins left for Atlanta, he put the Minnesota Vikings in prime position to be rewarded with a compensatory draft pick. There was a time when Atlanta’s tampering could have benefited Minnesota even further. While that didn’t come to fruition, the single selection is a huge boost for the Vikings.
Before the additional third-round pick, the Minnesota Vikings had just a single first-round pick and a pair of selections in the fifth round. Given the depth in this draft, it’s now even more plausible that the Vikings trade back from their first-round spot and stack middle-round opportunities.
The Vikings have done plenty of heavy lifting during the legal tampering period. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has utilized much of his cap space to shore holes all over the football field. There are still multiple places where the Vikings can improve, but few of them have to be with a day-one starter as a rookie.
Minnesota must draft better under Adofo-Mensah, but they are now armed with another quality selection. It plays a secondary boost in that the pick can also be traded. That compensatory pick is likely why Minnesota was worried about getting burned by tagging Sam Darnold.
It stands to reason that a trade market for a 14-win veteran quarterback should have been present. However, if the compensation wasn’t going to be substantially better than the possibility of a third-round selection next year, then it’s understandable why Minnesota was hesitant.
You probably shouldn’t bet on the Vikings getting the top compensatory pick, thanks to Sam Darnold in 2026. They still could be handed one in the same round, though, and building through those middle rounds is how you cost-effectively supplement your roster.
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Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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