Already, The Vikings Pulled Off Some Highway Robbery. Can They Do So Again?
The Vikings pulled off some highway robbery in NFL free agency. How else could we describe the decision to sign Kyler Murray for $1.3 million?
There’s some ongoing debate about Murray’s fit in Minnesota. What can’t be denied is that landing a Pro Bowl quarterback who is 28 and a former No. 1 pick for such a low level of compensation is stunning stuff. Back in 2024, Sam Darnold came to town for $10 million and he had accomplished zilch. Murray isn’t too far above zilch if the criteria is team success, but he has at least proven capable of playing promising football.
If the draft goes in a certain direction, then maybe lightning can strike twice.
Every so often, the NFL draft goes wonky. Sometimes, all it takes is a single team to do something odd to see the butterfly effect come into play. The Atlanta Falcons opting for Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 in the 2024 NFL Draft — less than two months after giving Kirk Cousins $180 million — is a shining example of unexpected stupidity. Players such as Laiatu Latu, Dallas Turner, and Jared Verse got pushed down the board. Can something similar occur in the 2026 NFL Draft?
The Vikings on Stacking Value
Under Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the idea got expressed through the concept of value.
Value is an abstract idea, something that’s easier to understand within specific examples. Justin Jefferson got drafted at No. 22 when he should have gotten scooped up at No. 2. That’s great value when it comes to draft placement. Even better, the accompanying financial compensation was artificially cheap, coming with cap charges around $3 million and $4 million while working on that rookie contract.
Fast forward into the present moment and the front office is being led by Rob Brzezinski. His way of phrasing things is to stack good decisions.
Basically, hit his layups. When he sees an open net, put the puck into the back of the net. If the batter is sitting on a 3 balls and 0 strikes, Brzezinski is looking to throw a fastball directly down the middle of the plate. Simple competence is the name of the game for the fill-in GM.
Fair, sensible, and to be respected. What’s far better, though, is chasing simplicity and yet falling into exemplary.
The Vikings must have a strong draft. The Vikings will have a better shot at arriving at that elusive goal if they nail the debut draft pick. Choosing correctly at No. 18 is where it all begins; conveniently, it’s also the spot where the Vikings could pull off some highway robbery.
In particular, there’s the chance to get one of RB Jeremiyah Love or S Caleb Downs (as recently discussed). Neither appears like a plausible option at Minnesota’s draft slot since they should go higher. The NFL, though, is sometimes a place where “should” doesn’t exist. Maybe something funky happens. If so, the task is to not overthink things and to take the easy win.
Furthermore, there’s the chance to do something special later on.
The Vikings did tremendously well back in 2015. So well, in fact, that a the most exemplary talent — Eric Kendricks (2nd), Danielle Hunter (3rd), and Stefon Diggs (5th) — are still playing in the NFL, with the edge rusher still living in the elite category. Minnesota knows from firsthand experience that the draft sometimes kicks over franchise-changing talent later on.
The Vikings are the proud owners of nine draft picks. After No. 18 (roughly in the middle of the 1st), the Vikings are boasting No. 49 (2nd), No. 82 (3rd), No. 97 (3rd), No. 163 (5th), No. 196 (6th), No. 234 (7th), No. 235 (7th), and No. 244 (7th).
Success that mirrors the effort from 2015 means choosing a 2nd-Round talent, a 3rd-Round talent, and so on that the future will judge as being a 1st-Round talents. The objective is easier said than done; not too many GMs are capable telling the future’s history.
Already, Rob Brzezinski has showed off some savvy in his time filling in at GM. He did so within the Kyler Murray signing. Maybe the future will tell us that he has done so with the moves for James Pierre, Ryan Van Demark, and Johnny Hekker, too.
In all likelihood, the Vikings will need to content themselves with pulling off a good draft. Even being good would be a nice step forward. What’s really needed and desired, though, is the kind of haul that makes future analysts conclude that the 2026 Vikings pulled off some highway robbery.
