Vikings Bring Home a Freebie
It was oft-rumored for one year, and the NFL locked it in on Monday: the Minnesota Vikings will receive a 3rd-Round compensatory pick for Sam Darnold’s 2025 free agency. Like the 2024 offseason, when Kirk Cousins skedaddled to the Atlanta Falcons for a ginormous payday, Minnesota will reap the compensatory benefits.
Minnesota found a low-cost way to add another meaningful dart.
Of course, Darnold and his Seattle Seahawks already won a Super Bowl for their troubles, but as a small consolation, Minnesota will get something for the Darnold debacle.
Pick No. 97 Gives the Vikings Another Swing at Value
Run the total to nine draft picks as of Monday, March 9th.
Vikings Fetch Round 3 Comp Pick — Officially
Comp picks are out. NBC Sports‘ Charean Williams wrote Monday, “The NFL announced 33 compensatory draft selections in the 2026 draft awarded to 15 teams. Under the rules for compensatory draft selections, a team losing more or better compensatory free agents than it acquires in the previous year is eligible for compensatory draft picks. The compensatory picks are positioned within the third through seventh rounds based on the value of the compensatory free agents lost.”
“In addition to the 32 compensatory selections awarded under the net-loss formula, a special compensatory selection was awarded to the Lions for the Jets hiring Aaron Glenn as their head coach. The initiative is intended to promote minority hirings. The Lions traded the pick to the Jaguars.”
And amid that stack of picks, Minnesota will choose first at No. 97 — just like last year.
A Parting Gift from Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
The guy responsible for the sweet new compensatory pick? Yeah, he doesn’t work here anymore. Hellbent on rolling with J.J. McCarthy at QB1 in 2025, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah let Darnold leave in 2025 free agency for the Seahawks, knowing he’d get a comp pick.
That turned out to be true, Darnold’s team won Super Bowl LX, and the Vikings fired Adofo-Mensah on January 30th for poor draft habits and [you guessed it] the Darnold decision.
The Vikings are in the middle of the process to repair Adofo-Mensah’s draft-pick-lite roster, and on April 24th, his parting gift is the 97th overall pick.
Righting the Temporary Wrong of Tai Felton
Last year, Minnesota used its Cousins-fueled compensatory pick on wide receiver Tai Felton, which turned out to be Year No. 1 disaster.
Felton’s offensive contributions were minimal as a rookie, as he played just 46 snaps. Targeted three times, he caught all three passes for 25 yards. While he capitalized on his limited opportunities, they were infrequent. On special teams, however, Felton made a significant impact. Logging 293 snaps, frequently as a gunner, he also returned seven kickoffs for 178 yards. After an injury to Myles Price, special teams coordinator Matt Daniels relied on Felton, and he delivered.
These numbers are typical for a late-round developmental player. However, Minnesota drafted Felton in the 3rd Round, and that capital creates pressure on the coaching staff to integrate him into the offensive game plan.
Therefore, Felton’s talk of a potential breakout in 2026 shouldn’t be dismissed. High draft picks come with expectations, and a receiver selected that early needs opportunities to justify the investment.
Of course, the quarterback carousel significantly hampered the 2025 offense. Minnesota’s offense struggled, cycling through McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer. McCarthy floundered early in 2025, before finding his rhythm late in the year. Wentz performed adequately as a backup until an injury sidelined him. Brosmer showed promise in the preseason but faltered when the regular season began.
A consistent quarterback could unlock Felton’s potential. If McCarthy builds upon his late-season success, or if Minnesota otherwise finds stability at the position, Felton could greatly benefit from the improved offensive environment. The Vikings are also tentatively expected to sign Kyler Murray this week, and he could cook with Felton.
Who’s in Play at Pick No. 97?
Depending on the rest of the Vikings’ free agency — they’ve added cornerback James Pierre from the Pittsburgh Steelers so far — and the first few draft selections, the board may look like this for interim boss Rob Brzezinski at No. 97:
- Skyler Bell (WR, UConn)
- Jonah Coleman (RB, Washington)
- Tacario Davis (CB, Washington)
- Sam Hecht (IOL, Kansas State)
- Romello Height (EDGE, Texas Tech)
- Ted Hurst (WR, Georgia State)
- Darrell Jackson Jr. (DL, Florida State)
- Emmett Johnson (RB, Nebraska)
- Logan Jones (IOL, Iowa)
- Joshua Josephs (EDGE, Tennessee)
- Max Klare (TE, Ohio State)
- Jalon Kilgore (S, South Carolina)
- Ja’Kobi Lane (WR, USC)
- Bryce Lance (WR, North Dakota State)
- Deontae Lawson (LB, Alabama)
- Will Lee III (CB, Texas A&M)
- Kyle Louis (LB, Pittsburgh)
- Devin Moore (CB, Florida)
- Malik Muhammad (CB, Texas)
- Julian Neal (CB, Arkansas)
- Dominique Orange (DL, Iowa State)
- L.T. Overton (EDGE, Alabama)
- Kamari Ramsey (S, USC)
- Chandler Rivers (CB, Duke)
- Jake Slaughter (IOL, Florida)
- Genesis Smith (S, Arizona)
- Nick Singleton (RB, Penn State)
- Treydan Stukes (CB, Arizona)
- Michael Taaffe (S, Texas)
- Brenen Thompson (WR, Mississippi State)
- Mike Washington Jr. (RB, Arkansas)
- Zakee Wheatley (S, Penn State)
And because of the comp pick process, that draftee will forever be known as the “Sam Darnold pick.”
The NFL draft is 45 days away.
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