5 options if the Vikings trade down in the 2020 NFL Draft
By Nik Edlund
Prince Tega-Wanogho – OT (Auburn)
The Vikings need offensive line help and they will be in the market for potentially a new left tackle and a left guard during the 2020 NFL Draft.
When Minnesota is on the clock at pick No. 25, the options for a big beefy blocker could be picked pretty clean. Instead of reaching, they could trade down. If they move down to the end of the first or the early portions of round two, they could look to bring in some royalty to their offensive line with this Prince from Auburn.
Prince Tega-Wanogho is an interesting prospect. He’s 6-foot-5, 307 pounds, and he’s relatively new to football as he came to the United States from Nigeria to play high school basketball. He tried football during an offseason and it stuck. Tega-Wanogho was recruited by Auburn and he has been extremely impressive in his career for the Tigers.
Tega-Wanogho has elite athletic ability and he would be a great fit in the Vikings’ zone-blocking scheme. He has nice long arms and a strong lower body. His run blocking right now is ahead of his pass blocking, but he has all the physical tools to develop into a solid pass protector.
If Minnesota were to take Tega-Wanogho, they’d want to hang onto Riley Reiff for at least another season. The young blocker is going to need time to develop and a year as a reserve would allow the Vikings coaching staff to help him reach his potential.
Tega-Wanogho had to withdraw from this year’s Senior Bowl due to a knee issue. While that seems minor, it’s red flags like these that push prospects down the board.
It’s entirely possible Tega-Wanogho is still on the board in the mid-second round. If Minnesota moves down and acquires more picks, taking this guy, with one of the highest ceilings of all the offensive tackles available, could be a risk that pays off.