The Minnesota Vikings made headlines last offseason with the signing of quarterback Kirk Cousins. Fortunately, their lucrative spending did not hinder their chances at adding some young talent through the 2019 NFL Draft.
The Vikings parted ways with a number of key players in order to bring Cousins and defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson in. According to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter, they will be awarded three compensatory picks:
The rich certainly got richer thanks to their lucrative spending last offseason. The Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots were also among the notable teams to receive multiple compensatory picks. Although the Vikings did not see as much success as the aforementioned teams did this season, they still boast one of the more talented rosters in the league.
Minnesota currently owns the 18th overall pick in the draft. Despite their heavy star power, they still have a number of voids to fill on both sides of the ball. It will be interesting to see if they use those picks to further support their situation under center.
It is no secret that Cousins did not provide much bang for his buck in the first year of his lucrative deal. Although his numbers were nothing to scoff at, Minnesota's struggles on offense were magnified by his inability to perform in crucial moments. As a result, Minnesota fell vastly short of expectations after going to the NFC Championship during the 2017 campaign. The picks should help alleviate some of the pain of having to pay Cousins top-tier money over the next two years.