Vikings Officially Grab Extra Draft Pick
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For months, the Minnesota Vikings have been on deck to receive a compensatory draft pick for Kirk Cousins’ free-agent departure last offseason.
Vikings Officially Grab Extra Draft Pick
Now that speculation is official.
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The Vikings will formally receive the draft’s 97th overall pick — the bottom of the 3rd Round but at the top of all compensatory selections.
NFL.com explained Tuesday, “Among the 35 compensatory picks are three special selections, one each given to the 49ers, Rams and Lions. These special compensatory picks are awarded to teams that have a minority employee hired to a head coach or primary football executive position by another team. The league began awarding such picks after an amendment was made to the 2020 collective bargaining agreement designed to promote equal employment opportunities within NFL teams.”
“As for the rest of the compensatory picks, they are awarded by the league to teams that lost more or better compensatory free agents than they signed in the previous year. Picks are positioned from Round 3 to Round 7 based on the value of the compensatory free agents lost. The formula that determines compensatory free agents is based on salary, playing time and postseason honors.”
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah & Kevin O’Connell Talk Free Agent Moves, Future at Quarterback & 2023 NFL Draft in Eagan, Minnesota, on April 13th, 2023. Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell joined the organization in January and February 2022, respectively.
And make no mistake — the Vikings needed the draft capital.
Minnesota surrendered a miniature version of the farm for the pick that netted outside linebacker Dallas Turner last year. Adofo-Mensah gave up pick No. 23, pick No. 167, a 2025 3rd-Round pick, and a 2025 4th-Round pick in exchange for pick No. 17. And before that, he sent his 2024 2nd-Rounder to the Houston Texans to move back into Round 1 — for the pick that later landed Turner.
The Vikings basically paid a 2nd-, 3rd-, and a 4th-Rounder, plus six spots in Round 1 for Turner.
That emptied the 2025 draft piggybank, resulting in the Vikings showcasing the league’s least draft capital this go-round.
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What will Minnesota do at Pick No. 97? That’s debatable, of course, and depends on which player is selected at pick No. 24, the Vikings’ organic 1st-Round selection. Many believe Adofo-Mensah will trade down on draft and stockpile picks, meaning the compensatory selection might be the third or fourth choice of the event. Stay tuned.
On the whole, Minnesota probably needs a running back in the 97th pick territory. This class is stuffed with RB talent, and the Vikings absolutely cannot miss out, even after signing Aaron Jones to a two-year extension last week.
Cornerback, safety, and offensive guard could also be in play for the purple team at pick No. 97.
Minnesota General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah joined Paul Allen to talk about a variety of topics, including previewing the Week 8 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams. October 22nd, 2024. MIN finished 14-2 in the 2024 regular season.
The NFL Draft is six weeks away, and you can pencil in the Vikings for an extra 3rd-Rounder.
Minnesota is expected to fetch a similar pick next year due to Sam Darnold’s free-agent exit to the Seattle Seahawks.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
