On Wednesday, the entire Minnesota Vikings roster will take the field for their first practice of 2023 camp at TCO Performance Center. After that, they will have only two days off (not including travel) until the preseason opener on August 10 at Seattle. Before the pedal hits the metal, let’s run down the people we will be watching the closest over the summer months with a list of the 10 most interesting Vikings in camp….
1. GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
The Vikings’ general manager has a lot on his plate to start camp. One of the best pass rushers of the last decade is holding out, the best receiver in the NFL is eligible for an extension and a top-notch tight end is set to have his contract expire after this year. How he handles these pressing issues will lay the groundwork for the team’s roster for years to come. Not to mention that everything will be a referendum on Adofo-Mensah’s overall direction for the team. If the young defense looks like it’s coming along and first-rounders Lewis Cine and Jordan Addison are making noise, the future will appear bright. If the replacements for veterans who exited stage left are struggling, the future might feel farther away than it seemed. That doesn’t mean we can decide if the Vikings made the right decisions this offseason — and in many cases they didn’t have much choice — but the progress of unproven players will move the needle on how we feel about where this thing is headed.
2. WR — Jordan Addison
Every first-round pick’s debut in training camp comes along with lots of intrigue. Is he coming along? Are there signs of greatness? Are there concerns that he isn’t picking things up quick enough? But Addison has an added element because there is pressure to succeed right away. The Vikings cut Adam Thielen in the offseason and did not replace him with a veteran receiver outside of punt returner Brandon Powell. So Addison is filling big shoes. He also appears to be a swing man for the entire offense. If he jumps into the mix the way recent first-rounders like Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson did, then the Vikings could have one of the most dangerous passing games in the NFL. If he sputters out of the gate, step on up Jalen Nailor. Of course, there will be overreactions to early results but by the end of camp we should have a sense of where he’s going to start the race.
3. S — Lewis Cine
Can he come back from a horrific injury to win the starting safety job or will we be leaving camp talking about how Cine needs more time? The first-round safety was able to fully participate in OTAs and minicamp, which means he isn’t starting from behind in trying to track down Cam Bynum and Josh Metellus. However, Bynum and Metellus are quality players, so it won’t be a cakewalk for the ex-Georgia Bulldog to step into the spot alongside Harrison Smith. The Vikings liked Metellus enough to play him over Cine last season, meaning his status will come down to how much he’s grown and how well he adapts to Brian Flores’s defense.
4. CB — Mekhi Blackmon
The Vikings seemed thrilled when they were able to pick Blackmon in the third round. At 24 years old, he’s an experienced corner who should be expected to compete right away with Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans for a starting position. Will his strong production and terrific underlying stats translate quick enough to the NFL for him to win the job? The Vikings have been drafting corners for years and haven’t found a single consistent starter. Can he be the one?
5. LB — Brian Asamoah
In a very small sample of the 2022 third-round pick, we saw Asamoah’s quickness and speed. Can he grasp the details of Flores’s scheme in order to handle an every-down role? Will we have a sense of his potential upside and playmaking ability, which appeared to be evident in a handful of preseason and regular season snaps in ‘22. Or will we be scratching our heads at Troy Reeder getting snaps ahead of him? Asamoah’s status is a major hinge to the future of the defense. If he’s the next Eric Kendricks, they will have a foundational piece for years to come. If not…
6. ED — Marcus Davenport
Is this the 9.0 sack or 0.5 sack version of Davenport? Is Flores going to use him as an outside linebacker type at 265 pounds or is he changing into a traditional 3-4 defensive end role where he’s attacking guards in pass rush situations? Is there more potential to be uncovered? Will he look like someone in line to press for 1,000 snaps or 500? Davenport is another pivot point of this defense.
7. TE — Josh Oliver
The Vikings aren’t going to give us all the answers to their offensive scheme but we should be able to get hints about whether more two-tight end personnel is on the way. Oliver brings a unique prowess for blocking but can he be a legitimate threat in the passing game? Can he give the Vikings a unique counterpunch from last year?
8. RB — Ty Chandler
Chandler was so good last year in preseason that we were wondering if he could be the future RB1. The super fast runner has had a year to adapt to Kevin O’Connell’s running scheme and now he’ll have an opportunity to be RB2 behind Alexander Mattison and maybe 1A depending on how things go. But Kene Nwangwu might have something to say about that. The two speedsters are set to compete for opportunities to use their physical talents.
9. WR — KJ Osborn
With the world talking about Addison, you can bet that Osborn is motivated to show out on a daily basis. The fourth-year receiver has been outstanding in his last two camps and that resulted in strong regular seasons as WR3. Now he has a chance to end all the discussion about the rookie and take the WR2 spot on the depth chart for himself.
10. DC — Brian Flores
After a year of watching the Vikings’ defense sit back on its heels, these fellas are ready for Flores’s blitz-happy style. But his scheme is also going to come along with more for the young group of defensive players to master. Who will thrive underneath Flores? Will there be players who struggle that we didn’t expect to fall behind? What type of impact will he have on the growth and development of the next wave?
Mr. Mankato favorites
1. QB — Jaren Hall
Hall should get tons of opportunities to play in preseason games considering the Vikings don’t often play starters. A few highlight moments and the award can be his.
2. RB — DeWayne McBride
We saw Chandler blow up backups and catch everyone’s eye during the preseason. If he’s getting any buzz at all from practices and then repeats it in games, he can make a serious run for Mr. Mankato.
3. WR — Thayer Thomas
Who loves an underdog receiver? The Vikings do. The former NC State walk-on is a classic overachiever who has preseason touchdown catches written all over him.
4. LB — Ivan Pace Jr.
In college Pace Jr. was a playmaker in coverage, versus the run and rushing the passer. As an undersized player and undrafted free agent, if he makes the team, that means he will have carried over the big-play prowess and tossed his hat in the Mr. Mankato ring.
5. DB — Jay Ward
A versatile defensive back, Ward could end up playing all over the field and getting chances to intercept passes or get after the quarterback. You could see a scenario where he ends up looking like a rotational player in practice and gets some splash plays in preseason games. That could be enough to put him in the mix.
