By Dianna Russini, Alec Lewis and Jelani Scott
The Minnesota Vikings are filling their massive void at left tackle ahead of Week 9 by trading for Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Cam Robinson, team sources confirmed Tuesday.
Minnesota receives Robinson and a conditional 2026 seventh-round pick, while the Jaguars get a conditional 2026 fifth-rounder who can become a fourth-round pick depending on playing time, according to a team source.
The Vikings, losers of back-to-back games after starting 5-0, will now turn to Robinson, 29, to help protect quarterback Sam Darnold’s blindside after losing standout LT Christian Darrisaw to an ACL and a Torn MCL in 30-20 loss. at the Los Angeles Rams in Week 8.
Robinson, a second-round pick in 2017, spent nearly eight full seasons in Jacksonville. He started seven of the Jaguars’ eight games in 2024 and 91 games over his career.
What does Robinson provide in Darrisaw’s absence?
In the words of one AFC executive, Robinson is “an adequate starter.” The Vikings had an elite one in Darrisaw, and if they hadn’t completed that acquisition, they would have had mediocre options, whether they turned to backup David Quessenberry or moved Blake Brandel to the left tackle.
Robinson is a free agent after this season, so Minnesota signed him as a half-season rental capable of ensuring the left side of the offensive line doesn’t torpedo Minnesota’s offense. Robinson is by no means an elite player. Among 62 qualified tackles, he ranks as a defense in pressures allowed. Pro Football Focus criticized him for allowing four sacks on the season, but the Jaguars’ disjointed offense is important context to note in these metrics.
Robinson is also rated as a solid – but not exceptional – run blocker.
Another factor in this decision is what Robinson may want to prove given that he is an impending free agent after this season. Exceptional production down the stretch could not only put him in a better position to land a bigger deal, but it could also net a compensation pick for the Vikings. — Alec Lewis, Vikings beat writer
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(Photo: Courtney Culbreath/Getty Images)