Vikings Set Up for Draft Upgrade After QB Rental Wins Starting Job

The New York Giants sent shockwaves around the NFL last season when word got out that they were thinking about releasing former first round pick and three-year starter Daniel Jones.

No doubt it caught the attention of one team, the Minnesota Vikings, who suddenly specialize in coaching and rehabilitating NFL quarterbacks lucky enough to come through TCO Performance Center and attend head coach Kevin O’Connell’s QB school, which seemingly rolls out new success stories with every NFL season that passes by.

Find someone that looks at you the same way Kevin O’Connell looks at his team and QB 🥹 pic.twitter.com/zYRPJrMGgD

— Matt Anderson (@MattAnderson_8) December 30, 2024

Once the Giants officially released Jones, the Vikings swooped in. They couldn’t offer more money than other teams, but they could offer the unique skill set of their head coach and his QB friendly staff.

After some thought, Jones signed with the MN Vikings practice squad on November 27, where he stayed for the remainder of the regular season, never once touching the active roster, until January 7, when he was finally elevated AFTER their last game against Detroit.

Daniel Jones’ short stint with Vikings brings additional benefits

That was an important move for Minnesota to make, since his activation to the 53-man made him eligible toward the Vikings’ 2026 comp pick formula as soon as he signed with the Indianapolis Colts in free agency this offseason.

The NFL comp pick formula is complicated, but according to OverTheCap.com, the Vikings were projected to receive a 5th round comp pick pretty much the moment he signed on the dotted line in Indy. That number has now changed, however

Over the course of Colts training camp, steam had been building recently behind Daniel Jones as the QB1 in Indianapolis, especially after head coach Shane Steichen spoke with reporters following the Colts’ last preseason game.

Then on Tuesday morning, Jones was officially named the Colts starting quarterback, over former No. 4 overall draft pick, Anthony Richardson, news that was first reported by Adam Schefter (ESPN).

A QB decision in Indy: Colts named Daniel Jones as their starting quarterback for their Sept. 7 regular-season opener vs. the Miami Dolphins, per @HolderStephen and me. pic.twitter.com/7PfrSu1m9I

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 19, 2025

Related: Vikings’ Free Agent WR Options May Be Dwindling

There was a time, between Daniel Jones signing with the Vikings and eventually moving onto Indianapolis, where the temporary KOC QB school pupil looked like the favorite to challenge JJ McCarthy in camp, before eventually accepting his place as a reliable QB2 before the regular season.

Jones saw that writing on the wall, in his short time working at TCO Performance Center, which played a large role in why he chose to take similar money for a camp competition with Anthony Richardson, instead.

Colts QB1 news likely to benefit Minnesota Vikings comp pick formula

Not only did the Colts’ QB1 announcement mark the second success story of Kevin O’Connell’s 2024 QB School graduation class — after Sam Darnold signed a $33.5 million per year contract to be Seattle’s starting quarterback over the offseason — but it also set the Minnesota Vikings up for a comp pick upgrade during the 2026 NFL Draft.

According to comp pick formula expert, Jones’ status as a starter means that 5th round comp pick is now more likely to be a 4th round comp pick, assuming the 28-year-old with 69 NFL starts under his belt can stay healthy and hold the job through most of the season.

This is good news for the Vikings so far. If Daniel Jones plays enough snaps this season, they are more likely to get a 4th rounder instead of a 5th rounder in a compensatory pick for Daniel Jones going to Indy.https://t.co/K8xYD1BELR

— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) August 19, 2025

Related: MN Vikings Quietly Dealing with Injury to Key Starter

If the formula plays out as expected (per OTC), Kwesi Adofo-Mensah would be awarded 3rd (Darnold), 4th (Jones) and 5th (Cam Robinson) round comp picks for the 2026 NFL Draft. And that’s AFTER the formula works itself out.

Other departures from the 2025 offseason (Pat Jones, Trent Sherfield, Cam Bynum) also count toward the comp pick formula. Those exits, however, are cancelled out by some of the MN Vikings’ own offseason signings (Will Ries, Ryan Kelly, Isaiah Rodgers).

Daniel Jones isn’t playing for the money anymore…

During his NFL career, Daniel Jones has thrown for 14,582 yards, 70 touchdowns and 47 interceptions. After showing promise early in his career, the former Duke standout steadily declined under the bright lights of the Big Apple.

Still, one impressive playoff performance in 2022 against the Minnesota Vikings landed him a huge $40 million per year contract extension. In total, Jones made $108 million with the Giants, who paid the remainder of his guaranteed money in order to push him out the door.

Even though he never played a snap for the Vikings, and did not stay to backup JJ McCarthy, his signing could go down as one of the sneaky best deals in franchise history, especially if he lands them a day two comp pick, by the time the dust settles.