The Vikings May Have Just Snagged Another Draft Pick
Under Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the Vikings haven’t always done a stellar job in the draft.
Instinctively, thoughts will drift over to 2022 and the disaster that took place within those ten selections. Even looking ahead to 2023 leaves one with some concerns. Nevertheless, there appears to be improvement over the years, and the good news is that Minnesota may have another pick to toss onto the pile for 2026.
The Vikings May Have Earned Another Pick
Give the microphone to Nick Korte, perhaps the foremost expert online for the NFL’s confusing compensatory picks formula.
In a recent social media post, Korte digs into why Trent Sherfield — among other players — are generating picks. He does so while acknowledging some uncertainty about how things will proceed: “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.”
Folks, keep the idea of “high variance” in mind. A simpler way of phrasing things would be to merely acknowledge that we’re dealing with a situation that remains a bit unclear.
Nevertheless, 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.
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.
Just consider a recent free-agent add: right guard Will Fries. He was drafted at No. 248 in his year, pretty darn near falling out of the draft entirely. One also thinks of Brock Purdy, the final pick in his year who has since developed into one of the league’s better passers.
Yes, these are exceptions, but the point still stands: getting a strong football player in the late 7th isn’t an impossibility. 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.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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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 Bluesky (@VikingsGazette). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.