5 options who could start at guard for the Vikings in 2020
By Chris Schad
Kyle Hinton
As we go further down the list, Kyle Hinton is a wild card that many people don’t know much about. As the Vikings’ final pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Hinton comes out of Washburn College in Topeka, Kan. and he wasn’t on most scouts radar until he showed up at Kansas State’s pro day.
There, Hinton put on a show with 34 bench-press reps, a 4.88-second time in the 40-yard dash, and a 34.5-inch vertical leap. The performance had several teams trying to get the 6-foot-2, 295-pound offensive lineman in for an official visit. But team facilities closed thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Vikings scooped him up in the seventh round.
After playing at left tackle for most of his career, Minnesota will slide him inside, which will make him seem like an ideal “redshirt” candidate this season. With there not being an obvious long-term candidate at left guard (unless Samia takes that spot), it’s possible the Vikings could use the same plan and let Hinton add some weight and get used to his new position in 2020.
It’s not a given that Hinton will be on the fast track to success. But with some scouts comparing him to Brian Waters, he’s an intriguing piece that will be fun to monitor throughout camp.