The Vikings’ Draft Picks News Keeps Getting Better
In the 2026 offseason, the Vikings’ salary cap space is looking pretty modest (translation: non-existent). The Vikings’ draft picks? Quite a bit better, folks.
One wonders, then, if that has been the plan all along for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. One of the team’s main resources for acquiring talent — cap room — is very likely to be in short supply. The other resource for acquiring talent — draft picks — shouldn’t be. The good news is that the drafted players can be had for cheap, meaning the puzzle pieces could click into place nicely.
The Vikings’ Draft Picks News
Credit where it’s due: Nick Korte is a wizard when it comes to compensatory selections.
He does his work for Over the Cap, a site that’s better known for NFL salary cap mastery rather than draft insights. The fascination with compensatory picks likely stems from the reality that these draft choices intersect with free agency. Indeed, a team gets them (usually) due to seeing a specific kind of free-agent talent leave. The NFL then compensates teams that have pricey talent move to a different squad with compensatory picks.
If you’re looking for a tangible example to sink your teeth into, look no further than receiver Tai Felton. He got brought to town — for clarity, after a bit of pick shuffling during the draft — due to the Vikings snagging the No. 97 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft (a late 3rd). The pick was added in Minnesota due to Kirk Cousins packing up for Georgia while chasing a four-year contract for $180 million.
Move ahead a year and things are looking even more optimistic. Korte’s analysis on OTC makes it appear as though a 3rd and then potentially three more draft picks are on the way. For a bit, the word was that there could be three total, but possibly getting four picks is a brand new insight.
Korte offers a Vikings blurb: “The top 3rd rounder and either a 4th or 5th rounder for quarterbacks that left in free agency should be secure for the Vikings. The only question for them is whether or not they can add a 7th or two on top of that as a bonus. But [Trent] Sherfield is expected to be strictly a special teamer in Denver, while Johnny Mundt has never played more than 38.9% of the snaps in a season.”
Step back to unpack the insight a bit. As a worst case, Minnesota should be getting a pair of picks. Sam Darnold is leaving a 3rd behind and Daniel Jones is leaving behind a 4th/5th. Minnesota will be pleased with these outcomes (especially the Jones one).
What’s the best case? Per Korte, it’s a 3rd, 4th, and a pair of 7ths. Not a bad haul, folks.
Keep in mind that Minnesota didn’t have a tepid free agency. Far from it. Working in their favor was the decision to send some major-money deals to players who had been cut — Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave — meaning they didn’t count within the formula for comp picks. Savvy signings.
A final word. Do note, reader, that these (potential) draft picks are not arriving by some random chance. The Vikings went into free agency planning to acquire compensatory picks. Sure, things may work out better than originally anticipated, but the point was to open the possibility of gaining at least a pair of nice picks while maybe gaining more.
Overall, gotta tip the cap to the GM. He appears to have beefed up his roster and the Vikings’ draft picks at the same time.
