The Minnesota Vikings have concluded their sixth practice of training camp and the second one with pads.
Throughout practice, there were a lot of interesting items including performances, injuries and depth chart tidbits.
I attended practice live at TCO Performance Center on Tuesday afternoon. Here are the eight things that stood out to me.
1. Injuries were multiple, but appeared minor
The Vikings had three injuries occur during practice on Tuesday.
- Cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. (unknown) walked off with a trainer and did not return.
- Wide receiver Trishton Jackson (leg) went down while trying to haul in a deep corner route. He was taken off on a cart and did not return. It is fair to note that going off on a cart doesn’t necessarily mean anything for the severity of the injury.
- Running back Alexander Mattison (hamstring) came up limp during team drills. The injury looked minor and shouldn’t be a major concern moving forward.
2. Tay Gowan played out of his mind
Fighting for a spot on the roster, this was a massive day for Tay Gowan. He balled out in every drill. In special teams drills, he was a physical monster not allowing players to get past him in coverage drills.
In coverage, he was just as good. Gowan was attacking the football and staying with every receiver he was covering. Gowan is at best going to be the fifth cornerback on this team, but the special teams acumen will likely have him filling the role Kris Boyd left.
3. Jordan Addison is legit
There were a few rough reps from Jordan Addison, but the first-round pick looks every bit the part of a talented rookie. He stumbled a couple of times in release drills, but most of the reps he had were explosive and his wiggle is excellent. One thing that was really impressive was how well he adjusted his tempo in his route running. He is going to not just compete for the WR2 spot, but will be a major contributor this season.
4. Jaren Hall throws a beautiful deep ball
Things aren’t all sunshine and rainbows for Jaren Hall, but he did have the best deep ball during practice. His calling card at BYU was being able to drop the ball in a bucket and he has carried that over in practice. Hall threw three beautiful deep balls in practice, including a corner route to Blake Proehl which went for 50 yards. Teams drills are still tough at times for Hall, but he is working hard and showing real flashes.
5. NaJee Thompson is a special teams maven
Going into training camp, NaJee Thompson wasn’t going to make the team as a cornerback, it was always going to be as a special teams player. He thrives in that environment and was showing so during practice. He was physical, worked well through blockers and was relentless in his pursuit during drills. He is going to be a difficult cut if that translates to the preseason.
6. Brian Flores' defense is giving the offense fits
We knew that things were going to be different for the Vikings defense with Brian Flores in charge and they are already showing dividends in practice. Harrison Smith had three sacks during team drills and Ivan Pace Jr. added one as well. This blitz scheme is causing problems for the offense, which should translate to gameday.
7. Mekhi Blackmon is the nickel corner
After Joejuan Williams was the nickel cornerback the first few practices, Mekhi Blackmon has been firmly entrenched as that guy over the last two practices, both of which have had full pads. Outside of his reps against Jefferson, Blackmon has mostly held his own, which is a good sign for when games are played this September.
8. Esezi Otomewo is practicing as a standup rusher
This is the one tidbit that has me really intrigued. Esezi Otomewo was drafted to be a 5T that can slide inside to 3T on passing downs. Brian Flores had him standing up as an outside linebacker. Otomewo is listed on the Vikings’ website at 6’5″ and 282 lbs, which is around 20 lbs light for a 5T. His athletic profile is really good for a defensive tackle, but having him as an edge rusher brings a lot of intrigue. This will be something to monitor throughout the preseason.
Other thoughts
- Kirk Cousins wore 66 as a rib to punter Ryan Wright, who wore that jersey throughout training camp.
- Cephus Johnson III didn’t look like he belongs in the NFL. Struggled in every phase, especially special teams.
- Thayer Thomas runs a fantastic, clean route every time but he doesn’t have the juice to be an effective NFL player.
- Ezra Cleveland pancaked Brian Asamoah II to the shadow realm during team drills. A really impressive rep.
- Marcus Davenport and Danielle Hunter didn’t participate in team drills. Patrick Jones II and D.J. Wonnum got the majority of first-team edge reps in their place.
