Vikings Get Back on the “Comp Picks Board,” Projected to Scoop Up a 3rd-Round Selection
K. Joudry
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Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is trying to thread the needle.
Adding free agent talent is a necessity if the goal is to compete in 2024 and yet fully leveraging all of the cap space will result in one distinct downside: missing out on the chance to snag a compensatory pick or two.
Will the Vikings get the chance to add another selection?
Coming into free agency, Nick Korte of Over the Cap suggested that the Vikings had an excellent chance to gain extra draft picks. Bringing in players like Blake Cashman, Jonathan Greenard, Sam Darnold, and Andrew Van Ginkel didn’t help if the goal was to snag more picks, but losing Kirk Cousins, Danielle Hunter, Jordan Hicks, Marcus Davenport, and D.J. Wonnum open the potential to gain another selection or two.
Recently, Korte suggested that Minnesota got itself in a better position to pickup an added 2025 pick.
Per OTC’s Comp Picks Expert, The Vikings Get Back on the Board with a Projected 3rd
Credit to Nick Korte, a leading authority on compensatory selections.
He has been staying on top of the free agency craziness in an attempt to offer an early evaluation of which teams are getting what. The news from last night about the Carolina Panthers stealing away Wonnum made an impact on the projection.
Take a look at the recent word from Korte about jumping back into “the 2025 comp picks board:”
Snagging a 3rd-round selection, even a late one, is significant. Right now, Minnesota is scheduled to have seven selections for the 2025 NFL Draft. The only deviation from the normal allotment is that the Vikings have a pair of 5ths and no 6th due to the Za’Darius Smith trade. Tossing on another 3rd would make things look quite a bit more robust.
And, to be sure, the potential isn’t done.
Some of the notable Vikings free agents are Joshua Dobbs, Dalton Risner, and K.J. Osborn. The QB is very unlikely to return to Minnesota. Meanwhile, Risner’s status in Minnesota is a bit of a mystery, though the veteran left guard has gone to social media to clarify what he’s hoping to get out of free agency. And then Osborn could get a medium deal somewhere to function as a WR2/3.
Keep in mind that there comes a point when free agency signings no longer impact the compensatory selections calculation. I tossed the question onto social media and received a prompt reply, pointing me toward OTC to confirm that April 29th is when additions will no longer offset projected picks.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is continually interested in gaining value and adding assets. Navigating the offseason dates to bring in upside talent, regain financial flexibility, and add another draft choice or two is the GM’s goal. Not an easy journey, but it’s the path Minnesota’s GM has chosen to take.
Editor’s Note: Readers looking to learn more about compensatory selections can do so on Over the Cap.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.