Cam Robinson trade could be good news for Vikings' comp pick outlook

After being benched in Houston, Robinson is headed to a place where he'll regain a starting role.

Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings tackle Cam Robinson (74) against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

A trade between AFC teams on Monday morning could wind up providing a slight boost to the Vikings' compensatory pick outlook in the 2026 draft.

The Texans have traded offensive tackle Cam Robinson to the Browns for a swap of late-round picks in 2027, according to reports. Why does that matter for Minnesota? Because Robinson, who was the Vikings' Christian Darrisaw replacement last year, needs to play in order to land the Vikings a more valuable comp pick — and that wasn't happening in Houston.

During his eighth season with the Jaguars last year, Robinson was traded to the Vikings for a conditional 2026 fourth-round pick. Minnesota was a contending team that needed a replacement for Darrisaw, who had gone down with a season-ending knee injury. Robinson started off quite nicely for the Vikings, but ultimately fell apart and played poorly (along with Sam Darnold and the rest of the offensive line) in the season-ending losses to the Lions and Rams.

This offseason, he signed a one-year deal with the Texans worth up to $14.5 million, putting the Vikings in line for a comp pick that could more or less cancel out the pick they gave up to acquire Robinson.

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But salary isn't the only factor in the compensatory pick formula. Playing time also matters; players need to hit snap thresholds in order for their contract to be valued a certain way. And despite performing reasonably well in Houston's Week 1 loss to the Rams, Robinson was benched the following week. Former Vikings starter Ed Ingram returned in Week 2 to play right guard, which allowed the Texans to move Tytus Howard to right tackle and rookie Aireontae Ersery (the former Gophers standout) over to left tackle. Robinson was the odd man out, which threatened to worsen the Vikings' comp pick.

That's why this trade is good news in that sense. The Browns are acquiring Robinson to play. Starting left tackle Dawand Jones is out for the season, and backup KT Leveston has been terrible. Robinson figures to step into that role right away and provide an upgrade with his proven floor in pass protection. If he stays healthy and holds onto the job, he'll likely earn the Vikings a fifth-round comp pick or perhaps even a fourth-rounder.

The Browns were not going to get 2026 comp picks anyway, so trading for a compensatory free agent doesn't hurt them.

This could help the Vikings if Cam Robinson's snap counts go back up as a starter, which would ensure that his contract isn't valued lower than a 5th rounder. https://t.co/rX8xwd3xAR

— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) September 29, 2025

Ironically, this deal might also be less-good news for the Vikings in an immediate sense, considering they play the Browns this upcoming Sunday in London. Robinson is a notable upgrade over Leveston, who graded out very poorly over the past three weeks. The matchup between former teammates Jonathan Greenard and Robinson should be a good one — but one that still favors Greenard. And if Browns right tackle Jack Conklin remains out, the Vikings will like their chances against backup Cornelius Lucas on that side of the line.

The Vikings are projected to earn three quality comp picks in next year's draft in exchange for losing Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, and Robinson this past offseason. Those are the departures that weren't cancelled out by the additions of a few qualifying free agents.

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