Vikings training camp: 10 things I’ll be watching when it kicks off

Hope is synonymous with this time of the NFL year. You look at the roster and the schedule, and you believe. It’s human.

The Minnesota Vikings have offered fans and experts many reasons to be excited over the last three years. First it was the new leadership structure. Then it was the new defensive coordinator. Now it’s not just the new quarterback but also an overhauled offensive line and improved interior defensive line. It’s depth. It’s trust in the people in charge. It’s envisioning this as the beginning of something more everlasting.

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For all of those reasons, this training camp feels even more hopeful. Here are 10 things I’ll be watching Wednesday when practice begins:

1. J.J. McCarthy’s layering

The best way to think about this is to think about the great golfers. They shape shots. It’s not enough to strike a 7-iron straight down the middle over and over again. There are times they also have to curve a 9-iron around trees and angle wedges up and over bunkers. This comes down to feel. To touch.

McCarthy has admitted that this is his central mechanics challenge. Having the sheer arm strength to hum a pass over the middle is important — and McCarthy has it. But when defenders are dropping from the line of scrimmage, can you arc the ball into small windows? How about in the red zone, when the space shrinks even further?

This skill is often described as “arm talent,” and it’s the one question mark when it comes to McCarthy’s throwing.

2. Josh Metellus’ involvement

Let’s go through the Vikings’ checklist from the offseason.

They needed to overhaul the interior of the offensive line. Check. They needed to add at least one interior defender who could rush the passer. Check. They needed to improve their depth at running back. Check.

Executing extensions was another priority. Minnesota found common ground with edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel and tight end Josh Oliver.

The most obvious candidate remaining is Metellus, the homegrown safety whose contract will void after the 2025 season. Can the two sides find common ground? If so, what will the contract figure look like? If not, will Metellus pull any levers to try to force the Vikings’ hand?

It’s not the most joyful training camp storyline, but it’s an important one.

3. Cornerback health and performance

We’re not going to start with Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers or Jeff Okudah.

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No, we’re beginning with Mekhi Blackmon.

The third-year corner is entering a critical camp. He became one of the first defensive draft selections after Brian Flores’ hiring as defensive coordinator in 2023. His rookie season was imperfect, as they tend to be, but the competitiveness and ball skills warranted optimism for last year. Blackmon’s torn ACL put a hold on those positive thoughts, but now he’s back.

He and undrafted second-year cornerback Dwight McGlothern will aim to prove that the team doesn’t have to acquire more depth via free agency or trade. The Vikings won’t hand either a job. An injury to Murphy or Rodgers would make the situation even more dire. This might be the most unconvincing position on the roster.

4. Dallas Turner’s positioning

Where’s No. 15? This’ll be an everyday question. How much time will Turner spend with the edge rushers? What about the linebackers? Will he be lining up on the line of scrimmage, or will he be positioned off the ball next to Blake Cashman?

Turner needs more playing time for multiple reasons. It’s not just that the Vikings traded a boatload of draft capital to acquire him in 2024; it’s also that Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard aren’t likely to be able to sustain the workload they contributed last year. Turner’s explosiveness should provide Flores a new card to pull to confound quarterbacks.

Physically, Turner can do just about everything. Flores’ willingness to move him around the field in training camp and beyond will be telling.

5. Will Fries’ presence (or lack thereof)

First, a prediction: Fries will become a fan favorite.

This is an inkling born out of conversations with some of the big guard’s former coaches, folks who witnessed the nastiness in person. He was one of the premier interior offensive linemen available via free agency, and the Vikings won his commitment with their culture and a hefty sum of money.

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Fries, who broke his right leg during the 2024 season, did not participate in spring workouts. Coach Kevin O’Connell spoke optimistically in May about his progress. The more time he spends next to right tackle Brian O’Neill in practice, the better it will be for a front that will be a key cog as the Vikings attempt to return the offense to its roots of marrying the run and pass.

6. The emphasis on the run game

Speaking of the run, how about a few statistics?

The Vikings rank 29th in the NFL in yards per carry since 2022, 23rd in EPA per rush and 15th in rushing success rate. At best, they’re near the middle of the back. At worst, they’re near the bottom.

If these numbers don’t change in 2025, it’s difficult to imagine the Vikings winning a playoff game, something they have not done since O’Connell took over in 2022. They have the run-blocking tight end (Oliver). They have the reinforced interior of the offensive line (Fries, Ryan Kelly and Donovan Jackson). They have a sound running back platoon (Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason).

Now, it’s incumbent upon O’Connell and the offensive staff to emphasize this area. No more running as a side project, an afterthought. Maybe that means more time game planning it early in the week. Or maybe it means more boring training camp sessions. If so, bring on the boring.

7. Gavin Bartholomew vs. Ben Yurosek

You want a camp competition? We’ll give you a camp competition! How about the sexy battle for the No. 3 tight end spot?

Will this lead segments on sports radio? No. Will this drastically sway the Vikings’ win total? Probably not. Underestimating Johnny Mundt’s role in previous years, though, would be foolish. He did everything you want a player to do in this role: run block, catch passes on keepers, hold onto the football.

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In one corner is Bartholomew, a sixth-round pick from Pittsburgh who looks like the spitting image of Mundt. Bartholomew missed spring practice with an undisclosed injury and, on Monday, was added to the physically unable to perform list, complicating his chances.

In the opposite corner is Yurosek, the Stanford and Georgia product who was highly sought after in undrafted free agency.

May the best man win.

8. Christian Darrisaw’s progress

How quickly can a left tackle return from a torn ACL?

Darrisaw presents a fascinating case. He suffered the injury in late October but was already back participating in practice this spring. The Vikings have praised Darrisaw’s recovery. But both publicly and privately, they have said they won’t rush him back.

But what if he’s ready? What if, as training camp progresses, his timetable mandates more work with the new-look offensive line? Minnesota has insurance behind him in the form of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers tackle Justin Skule, but Darrisaw’s presence is pivotal in the Vikings’ belief that their offensive line can become one of the NFL’s best.

9. Rondale Moore’s involvement

The Vikings offense doesn’t need a gadget guy. It has Justin Jefferson. It has T.J. Hockenson. It has Jordan Addison. When you commit the kind of money Minnesota has to these three, there’s little room for offensive whackiness.

But why not a smidge? Why not integrate a talent who can be dynamic with the ball in his hands? That’s what Moore can potentially provide.

He’ll have to prove he’s past last year’s season-ending knee injury. He’ll have to learn O’Connell’s dense system on the fly.

But do those things, and Moore could carve out an intriguing role in this offense. Swing passes could offer an extension to the run game. Motion him from one side of the line to the other, and defenses will have to split their attention with the Vikings’ star wideouts.

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10. Ryan Wright’s punts

Minnesota ranked 30th in the league in special teams DVOA in 2022 and ’23. Last year, the Vikings ranked 27th. Punting wasn’t the only culprit, but that phase hasn’t been a strength.

That hasn’t prevented the Vikings from sticking with Wright, an undrafted signee in 2022. Kicking in training camp is easier to track than punting, but Wright’s leash should not be long. Any issues with accuracy or placement, and the Vikings should be scouring the market.

(Photo of Dallas Turner: Matt Krohn / Imagn Images)

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