When it comes to OTAs and minicamp, all conclusions should come with an asterisk. It has to be noted that we are months away from actual answers when it comes to the big picture questions about the Minnesota Vikings roster and the biggest questions about the quarterback position. But the wheels of the NFL never stop churning so when the Vikings hit the field for the portion open to the media this week, next week and for three days in early June, here are the main storylines we will be covering…
QB reps
Will JJ McCarthy get any work with the first team by the end of minicamp? The Vikings have made it very clear that they want to give the 21-year-old quarterback plenty of time and space to learn the offense and everything it takes to be an NFL quarterback before they start asking him to be QB1.
Sam Darnold was signed to a $10 million contract to potentially be a “bridge” quarterback, which could mean that he never starts, starts a few games, starts most of the games or starts all of the games in 2024. We won’t have a clear indication of how many starts Darnold will have in 2024 from a handful of practices but we will get a sense for where the QB competition begins on the first day of training camp in late July.
If McCarthy gets first-team reps during OTAs and minicamp, that is a sign that he is grasping the offense and could be in line for a legitimate battle with Darnold from Day 1. There is no need to panic if Darnold takes all the reps but it would suggest that the coaching staff wants to take it slower with him for right now.
Put it this way: OTAs and minicamp are like the qualifying round of a NASCAR race. Where everyone finishes in minicamp is where they begin in camp, though a ton can change during those mid-summer weeks.
McCarthy’s fastballs and comfort with the offense
In the handful of plays we saw McCarthy run during rookie minicamp, his arm strength was apparent. He fired several impressive bullets to the sideline on deep out-breaking patters. He also threw some lasers that went wide or high and a couple that maybe didn’t need that much juice. Now that he’s with players on the roster running the offense and he’s spent some time with Kevin O’Connell and Josh McCown, how will those throws look?
It can’t be said enough times that we should avoid any overreactions when it comes to a player his age. Call it curiosity. By the end of minicamp, does it appear that there has been progress from the very first impression?
That goes for the command of the offense as well. Does the operation look fairly smooth or like it needs a lot of coaching? Is the ball coming out on time or does it look like McCarthy is feeling things out?
These are simply markers to understand where he would need to go in order to win the job in camp.
Justin Jefferson attendance and contract
Presumably if Jefferson does not have a deal in place, he will not be attending the OTA portion. Technically those practices are not mandatory. But they call it “mandatory minicamp” for a reason. That’s when Jefferson can be fined around $100,000 if he misses all three days, per OverTheCap.com.
The Vikings have to be feeling some urgency to get an extension done. They have been negotiating since last summer (Jefferson did attend minicamp amidst negotiations) and with new quarterbacks in place it would benefit everyone to have him in practice from the outset rather than playing catchup later into camp.
Depth receiver battle
There are a lot of human beings jockeying for position at wide receiver for the Vikings and outside of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Brandon Powell nobody’s position is clear.
We can assume that Jalen Nailor and Trent Sherfield are going to get the majority of the work behind the starters but Trishton Jackson, N’Keal Harry, Lucky Jackson and Thayer Thomas were all on the roster or practice squad last year and could have a chance to make the 53-man roster out of camp. A good offseason program would give any one of them an edge starting camp.
There is another throng of players who are looking to be the next Adam Thielen (or Chad Beebe?). Will anyone catch the eye of the coaches and put themselves in position to fight for a spot on the bottom of the depth chart?
Here’s the other receivers going into OTAs:
- Malik Knowles, K-State
- Devron Harper, Mercer
- Ty James, Mercer
- Jeshaun Jones, Maryland
Where Dallas Turner fits in
Brian Flores’ defense shape shifts so much on a weekly basis that it’s hard to tell what it’s going to look like come September based on what we see in May but the Vikings’ top defensive draft pick Dallas Turner enters the offseason program with some intrigue surrounding where he’s going to play considering the signing of linebacker/edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel this offseason. Are they both going to be on the field at the same time? Is Van Ginkel going to play more linebacker or edge rusher? Where does that leave Ivan Pace Jr., Blake Cashman and Josh Metellus?
The physical part of Turner’s game won’t be evident until camp but whether he’s in a versatile role or sticking to one spot will be notable.
Kicking competition?
The Vikings spent a draft pick on Alabama’s Will Reichard so he has the clear leg up (get it, leg up) on offseason signee John Parker Romo, who kicked in the XFL. Still, they are both on the roster, so competition it is. How long that competition lasts is certainly a question. Normally we see a handful of kicks during the offseason program. There will be extensive reporting on whether those boots went through the uprights or not.
Signs of life from the 2022 class
It’s been a rough ride for the 2022 draft class. This may be Lewis Cine’s last chance to carve out a role for himself after essentially seeing zero defensive snaps in 2023. Cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. has had a year to adapt to what Flores wants on defense, which may give him a fighting chance in the cornerback competition. While they signed Shaq Griffin, there wasn’t an enormous addition to the CB room, leaving the door open for the former Clemson corner to find his way.
Brian Asamoah remains behind the starters on the depth chart but Flores likes to find spots for those who can make a difference in some way. It may be possible for the 2022 third-rounder to make a case for being part of the rotation.
We won’t be able to take much from the OTA/minicamp showings from Ed Ingram and Ty Chandler but we might be able to pick up on whether Chandler is rotating with Aaron Jones.
The next Ivan Pace Jr.
The Vikings spent cold hard cash to bring in multiple highly rated UDFAs, highlighted by linebacker Gabriel Murphy from UCLA. The buzz for a player making a name for himself usually begins in minicamp if that player is catching onto the offense/defensive scheme and showing it on the field during practices. Who’s the next man to create some pre-camp noise? We’ll find out over the next few weeks.
