The Vikings’ Cabinet Is Restocked
Remember the melancholy you felt about the Minnesota Vikings holstering just four draft picks during the three-day event in Green Bay?
The Vikings’ Cabinet Is Restocked
That was a one-time thing. You don’t have to worry about a skinny cabinet in 2026.
Minnesota made no ginormous trades this offseason that would’ve leveraged future capital, and in fact, played the compensatory pick game well enough to set themselves up nicely next year.
The draft cabinet is restocked.
The Picks in 2026
Without any trades this summer or in the regular season, this is how the purple team’s picks will look in 2026:
- Round 1
- Round 2
- Round 3
- Round 3 (comp)
- Round 4 or 5 (comp)
- Round 5
- Round 7
The only notable round missing is a 4th-Rounder, donated to the Jacksonville Jaguars last year for offensive tackle Cam Robinson. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah shipped a conditional 5th-Rounder to the Jaguars for Robinson after Christian Darrisaw tore his ACL, and outwardly, Robinson appeared to hit the threshold for Jacksonville to gain Minnesota’s 4th-Rounder.
Adofo-Mensah also sent his 6th-Rounder to the San Francisco 49ers in March for running back Jordan Mason, but nobody anywhere really cares too much about 6th-Round picks. They rarely pan out.
Extra Compensatory Love
Because more free agents departed the purple team than walked through the doors in Eagan, Minnesota is in line to grab two compensatory picks in 2026.
The first is virtually guaranteed to be a 3rd-Rounder for Sam Darnold’s exit to the Seattle Seahawks. It’s the same situation as Kirk Cousins departing in March 2024. Minnesota will probably have the 97th pick in next year’s event, solely because Darnold picked Seattle over Minnesota.
Meanwhile, the other compensatory selection may depend on Daniel Jones. He left for the Indianapolis Colts, and if he ends up as that team’s starter for most of 2025, Minnesota could gain a 4th-Rounder via the compensatory process.
The Compensatory Process
NFL.com‘s Lance Zierlein wrote about the Vikings’ stake in the compensatory world, “A third-round pick should be coming to the Vikings following Darnold’s departure for Seattle, and midseason trade acquisition Robinson could fetch a fifth-rounder after leaving for Houston. Minnesota might have turned a one-year, $10 million contract for Darnold into the top compensatory pick in the 2026 draft, and they are getting 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy back from injury. Well played, Vikings.”
“Projected compensatory picks: one in Round 3; one in Round 5. Key free-agent losses: Sam Darnold (Seahawks), Camryn Bynum (Colts), Daniel Jones (Colts), Cam Robinson (Texans), Patrick Jones II (Panthers). Key free-agent additions: Will Fries, Ryan Kelly, Isaiah Rodgers.”
Fans love compensatory capital because it feels like free money.
Zierlein added, “The number of compensatory picks allotted each year is limited to the number of teams in the league (32), per the collective bargaining agreement. However, compensatory picks are not divided up equally among the teams, and no team can receive more than four compensatory picks in a single year. Teams that end up with more qualifying free agents lost than gained in a particular year are eligible to receive compensatory selections. A team that lost as many qualifying free agents as it gained might be eligible to receive a Round 7 compensatory pick, based on the value of the qualifying free agents it lost versus the value of the qualifying free agents it gained.”
“Teams are awarded compensatory draft picks between Rounds 3 and 7 based on a league formula that takes into account a player’s average salary per year (APY), snap count and postseason awards. While there is an expected level of compensation for a player based on the amount he has signed for, his playing time (or lack thereof) in the upcoming season could alter the expectation.”
Vikings NEED the Picks with Next Year’s Salary Cap
A dirty little secret about Vikings football isn’t widely broadcast. The club has negative -$32 million in cap space on tap for free agents and extensions in 2026. It’s the total opposite of 2025.
Minnesota ranks near the bottom of the league in available funds for 2026 free agency — this happened frequently during the Kirk Cousins administration — and Adofo-Mensah must be creative with restructures and such to get in the green.
So, having a full cabinet of rookies will be vital for team-building in 2026 and beyond. There will be no fancy spending bonanza in free agency next year like what shook down in 2025.
Expect Defensive Secondary to Be a Priority
While it’s tricky to forecast a team’s long-term roster needs one year in advance, safety Harrison Smith is likely playing his final season in the pros, and his teammate, Josh Metellus, will enter the final year of his contract in 2025.
Too, Minnesota has a wee bit of uncertainty at cornerback in 2025. Therefore, couple those factoids, and the Vikings could be in line to target a defensive back in Round 1 next April.
It’s worth noting, too, that Adofo-Mensah will have a 2nd-Round pick for the first time since 2022 during the event. It might feel like Christmas in that regard.
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