By Dianna Russini, Alec Lewis and Jelani Scott
The Minnesota Vikings are addressing their massive void at left tackle ahead of Week 9 after striking a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars for 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 that can become a fourth-rounder based on playing time, per 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 a torn ACL and MCL during a 30-20 loss to 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 had they not completed this acquisition, they would have had subpar options whether they turned to backup David Quessenberry or shifted Blake Brandel out to left tackle.
Robinson is a free agent after this season, so Minnesota snagged him as a half-season rental capable of ensuring the left side of the offensive line does not torpedo Minnesota’s offense. By no means is Robinson an elite player. Among 62 qualified tackles, he ranks in the back-half in pressures allowed. Pro Football Focus has dinged him for allowing four sacks on the season, but the Jaguars’ disjointed offense is important context to note in these metrics.
Robinson is also classified as a solid — but not exceptional — run-blocker.
Another factor in this move is what Robinson may want to prove considering he is an impending free agent after this season. Exceptional production down the stretch might not only place him in a better position to garner a heftier deal, but it could also return a compensation pick for the Vikings. — Alec Lewis, Vikings beat writer
Required reading
- NFL Power Rankings Week 9: Bills up, Cowboys down, plus Something Scary for every team
- What Christian Darrisaw’s injury means for an already-disjointed Vikings offense
(Photo: Courtney Culbreath / Getty Images)
