The Minnesota Vikings have encountered a serious bout with the injury bug, and a trade to acquire help in the form of New Orleans Saints offensive lineman Trevor Penning could be a fitting solution.
Penning was the No. 19 overall pick of the 2022 draft, and he has spent his entire career with the Saints.
However, he could be due for a change of scenery, and the Vikings could be a fit.
Vikings Urged to Trade for Saints OL Trevor Penning
GettyTrevor Penning #70 of the New Orleans Saints on the field against the Los Angeles Chargers.
“It hasn’t worked out in New Orleans for Penning, the 2022 first-round pick who has struggled to find a starting position,” Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame Gilberto Manzano wrote on October 1, listing Penning as a move the Vikings “should make before the deadline.”
Vikings get:
- Trevor Penning
Saints get:
- 2027 sixth-round draft pick
“On the bright side, Penning offers versatility as a lineman with starting experience playing tackle and guard,” Manzano and Verderame wrote.
“The Vikings need all the help they can get. Not only has the offensive line disappointed, but three of the five starters are currently dealing with injuries. It’s usually a red flag when teams are willing to shop an offensive lineman because the good ones are rarely available. But it never hurts to add versatility and depth to a critical area.”
The Vikings do not own a sixth-round pick in 2026.
They own picks in the fifth and seventh rounds in that class, and could attempt to substitute either one for the sixth-rounder in a potential trade for Penning.
Trevor Penning Could Help Injury-Riddled OL
GettyTrevor Penning #70 of the New Orleans Saints in action against the Denver Broncos.
Penning is in the final year of his four-year, $14.1 million contract, and he will be a free agent next offseason. Still, the Vikings are so depleted up front due to various injuries that adding a player with his pedigree and versatility in a trade could be appealing.
Vikings starters, center Ryan Kelly, left guard Donovan Jackson, and right tackle Brian O’Neill are all sidelined heading into Week 5 against the Cleveland Browns in London.
Reserve lineman Walter Rouse is on injured reserve with Jackson.
The 6-foot-7, 325-pound offensive lineman was drafted as a tackle, and he has experience on both sides. However, he has since moved to guard. The only position Penning has not played, at least at the NFL level, is center.
OL Called ‘Biggest Need’ for Vikings
GettyBrian O’Neill #75 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on before a game against the Atlanta Falcons.
The Vikings’ offensive line woes are so dire that NFL.com’s Kevin Patra suggested they seek “depth” before the trade deadline.
“A week ago, I might have said corner was the Vikings’ biggest need, but a rash of injuries put a hole in their best-laid plans to solidify the O-line this offseason,” Patra wrote on October 1. “Brian O’Neill’s MCL sprain is a killer, as they experienced on Sunday versus Pittsburgh, when Carson Wentz was sacked six times, while Ryan Kelly and Donovan Jackson are also banged up. If Minnesota doesn’t secure better protection, it won’t matter who is under center.”
Notably, Wentz is also playing in place of an injured starter, J.J. McCarthy.
The Vikings will go on their bye week after facing the Browns. That could give them time to get as healthy as possible and assess their roster. It could even allow the Vikings to consider a trade for someone like Penning.
