Vikings to Get “Extra” Draft Pick in 2025
When former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins vamoosed for the Atlanta Falcons 10 months ago, most salary cap experts expected the franchise to grab a nifty compensatory draft pick for his departure.
Vikings Draft Picks: One “Extra” Is on the Way
Fast forward to January, and it seems those predictions were correct — the Vikings are tentatively on deck to receive the 97th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft for Cousins’ exit, also known as near the bottom of Round 3.
Nick Korte of OverTheCap.com tweeted on Tuesday:
That would leave the Vikings with this draft haul for April:
- 2025 1st R0under (Pick 24)
- 2025 3rd Rounder (Pick 97)
- 2025 5th Rounder (Pick 138)
- 2025 5th Rounder (Pick 159)
It’s worth noting that a lot of Minnesota’s 2025 draft class was shipped to the Jacksonville Jaguars, courtesy of the deal for the draft pick that netted Dallas Turner, a 1st-Round outside linebacker. Many expected the Vikings to swing a gargantuan trade for a quarterback last April, however general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah moved up the board just a bit to select Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy. He spent the other assets on Turner.
Cousins, meanwhile, utterly flopped in Atlanta. He started the season woefully in Week 1, quickly rebounded, guided the Falcons to a 6-3 record, totally faceplanted in the next several games, and eventually got benched for Michael Penix Jr., whom the Falcons shockingly drafted on the same night as McCarthy to Minnesota.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris issued a statement on the switch from Cousins to Penix Jr. in December: “After review, we have made the decision Michael Penix Jr. will be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback moving forward. This was a football decision, and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.”
Thereafter, Penix Jr. took over and played quite well for a rookie.
In theory, the Vikings could’ve re-signed Cousins for two years and $90 million or so and let it ride for a couple more years. Adofo-Mensah said no thanks, and 10 months later, Cousins was benched while reclamation passer Sam Darnold, on a price tag of ten million bucks, led the Vikings to 14 wins.
Although there is no clear-cut plan for Minnesota’s intentions with the soon-to-be compensatory pick, the Vikings could stand to add a new running back in that area of the draft, as this year’s class is ultra-deep at tailback.
The NFL Draft is 93 days away.
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 Vikings 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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.