Vikings Could Steal Yet Another Draft Pick
The Minnesota Vikings already have two compensatory draft picks lined up for 2026, mainly because more impactful free agents left the organization this offseason than arrived.
It’s speculative this far out, but the Vikings could be on their way to another compensatory draft pick.
Most fans operated under the pretense that Minnesota would gain a 3rd-Rounder due to Sam Darnold’s departure and a 5th-Round pick (or so), depending on Daniel Jones’ role with the Indianapolis Colts.
But a third compensatory pick, believe it or not, appears to be in play.
The Tweet from Over the Cap
The “compensatory draft pick guy,” OverTheCap.com‘s Nick Korte, spilled the beans last week.
He wrote in an off-the-cuff tweet, “I was curious as to why all of a sudden players like Tremon Smith and Tre’Davious White and Trent Sherfield were now making the cut for 2026 compensatory pick qualification. It’s because all the June 1 cuts got cleared out. There’s a bug in the program I’ll need to fix later. It’s been an utter mess of a logjam as to which of the ~$3M APY players could qualify as 2026 compensatory free agents.”
“There will be high variance in the number of outcomes that could happen with the comp picks for this next draft.”
The tweet implies that the Vikings could grab a 7th-Round pick for Sherfield, who left in March for the Denver Broncos, even naming Sherfield specifically.
Until last week, three compensatory selections were not commonly theorized by anybody, but the game has changed, and folks will monitor the formula, along with Korte’s continued findings.
The Implications for 2026
Heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah possessed slim pickings because he traded much of his capital in 2025 for the draft pick that secured outside linebacker Dallas Turner in 2024.
He made the most of the limited sample, choosing Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson in Round 1, followed by Maryland wide receiver Tai Felton in Round 3. But make no mistake, despite still holding big plans for Turner in 2025 and beyond, the pain of no 2nd-Rounder or 4th-Rounder was felt.
Therefore, in 2026, every little bit helps via the compensatory process, with the situation setting up nicely. Two compensatory selections will be on the way, almost for sure, and the latest from Korte indicates that a third, probably a 7th-Rounder, isn’t far-fetched.
Current Draft Menu for MIN in 2026
If the Korte development materializes, Minnesota’s draft chest could look like this next April:
— Round 1
— Round 2
— Round 3
— Round 3 (compensatory pick)
— Round 5
— Round 5 (compensatory pick)
— Round 7
— Round 7 (from HOU)
— Round 7 (compensatory pick)
That’s quite the change of pace from the 2025 draft pick standing, which featured just four picks entering the event.
Indeed, 7th-Rounders mostly don’t pan out, but for perspective, the Korte nugget might enable the Vikings to onboard a player of decent caliber. In the last 30 years, Minnesota has notably found these men from Round 7:
- Jason Fisk (DT, 1995)
- Matthew Hatchette (WR, 1997)
- Shamar Stephen (DT, 2014)
- Jayron Kearse (S, 2016)
- Stephen Weatherly (DE, 2016)
- Ifeadi Odenigbo (DE,2018)
Around the NFL, with same last-30-years parameter, Tom Nalen (C, DEN), Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB, LAR,), Adam Timmerman (G, GB), Marcus Colston (WR, NO), and Julian Edelman (WR, NE), among dozens of others have played vital roles.
The More the Merrier
Potentially gaining another 7th-Rounder from Sherfield’s departure is all about the dartboard. Fully recognizing that productive players from Round 7 are difficult to discover, you can’t win the game of darts without throws.
An extra 7th-Round pick would increase the odds of Minnesota unearthing a Fisk, Hatchette, Stephen, Kearse, Weatherly, or Odenigbo.
Moreover, in 2028 or 2029, when quarterback J.J. McCarthy will be eligible to earn top dollar on the quarterback market, the team must draft effectively to keep the Super Bowl window ajar, if applicable.
Kyle Joudry on the Latest Compensatory Development
At our partner site, PurplePTSD.com‘s Kyle Joudry opined on the budding compensatory scenario: “The Vikings look like they have a decent shot at scooping up a 7th for Trent Sherfield taking off. Originally, the estimate from Korte on Over the Cap had the Vikings sitting on a pair of compensatory selections for 2026. Sam Darnold signed his beefy deal in Seattle, leading to the top 3rd getting sent to the Twin Cities.”
“Cam Robinson’s contract with Houston helped generate a 5th, a welcomed asset for the draft pick total. A more recent look, however, has Minnesota housing a 7th. No, we’re not talking about a sizzling draft pick, one that’s likely to lead to a franchise-changing player. Nevertheless, the Vikings will gladly accept any and all picks that get tossed in their direction.”
Teams with oodles of compensatory picks are often the envy of the league.
Joudry added, “The team can, at the very least, get a bit of a head start on undrafted free agency, snagging someone before the NFL gets to bid on the best remaining talent. Or, perhaps, the 7th gets worked into a trade, the last bit of value needed to get a deal across the finish line. There’s even a small chance, folks, that the pick gets sunk into someone who is an excellent player. Likely? No. Impossible? No.”
“If the Vikings do gain that pick from Trent Sherfield departing for the Broncos, then the team’s hope will be to find a diamond in the rough. Next offseason, the Vikings don’t have a great shot at landing compensatory picks. Best be greedy about the ones currently available while looking to put together a top-tier draft in the ’26 offseason.”
Total clarity on the final compensatory verdict won’t take shape until next offseason, but here’s to hoping for three picks instead of the popularly accepted two.
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