EAGAN, Minn. — Justin Jefferson’s extension eliminated all of the possible hoopla. Once the superstar wide receiver signed his $140 million deal, the Minnesota Vikings’ mandatory minicamp became about football and nothing else.
Minnesota practiced for nearly two hours Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Each position group was stationed on a particular side of the field for individual drills. The practices finished with a full-team competition.
Here are some questions, answers and observations from the action:
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Why Justin Jefferson's record-breaking Vikings extension was always in the cardsHow did J.J. McCarthy look?
Overarching quarterback observations are largely unimportant at this stage, and none are a referendum on McCarthy’s potential.
The Vikings structured their practices with little 11-on-11 work. The quarterbacks mostly threw on their own, with some seven-on-seven competition mixed in. Even when they did include the full roster, few players ran full speed.
McCarthy missed some passes over the first two days. He grounded one to fullback C.J. Ham in the flat. He hummed a throw over the middle Wednesday that safety Theo Jackson lunged and tipped.
Thursday, though, McCarthy looked much better. He lasered one over the middle to tight end Robert Tonyan. He feathered a completion to receiver Trent Sherfield on the far right sideline. Tracking passes feels like a fruitless exercise right now — so many variables factor into these throws, and all a basic stat line does is falsely sway the narrative — but Thursday was easily the rookie’s most efficient day.
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— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) June 7, 2024
This isn’t surprising. McCarthy is practicing new concepts and throwing to new receivers. He is using different footwork. Defenders are moving across his line of vision faster than he has ever experienced. Inconsistency should be the expectation. And the frustrated McCarthy clapped at himself after some throws. After good ones, he high-fived fellow quarterbacks Sam Darnold, Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall and patted the helmets of receivers.
Tonyan complimented McCarthy on Thursday for his affinity for “ripping it.” Other than that, the Vikings staffers and players remained mostly quiet about McCarthy’s performance. That isn’t surprising, either.
They want to take this slow. To help him develop confidence. To allow him to try throws, make mistakes and learn. Head coach Kevin O’Connell and his staff believe that’s the best path to long-term success, and everyone seems on board.
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Darnold looked calm, confident and prepared for what is likely to be another starting opportunity.
Thursday, he surveyed receivers in a seven-on-seven rep, then placed the ball perfectly in stride toward second-year receiver Jordan Addison. Once Addison caught the ball and turned upfield, multiple teammates who had been watching from behind Darnold yelled, “Thatta boy, Sam!”
Darnold’s consistency stood out for three days. He connected with Jefferson on a couple of over routes Wednesday, dropping the ball into hard-to-see windows. He anticipated cuts and displayed touch.
“I know firsthand how much arm talent he has,” said defensive tackle Harrison Phillips (Stanford), who played against Darnold (USC) in college. “This is the best team he’s been on. This is the best system for him. He’s hopefully going to find the ceiling of his play this season for us.”
Darnold took every first-team rep. When the Vikings split the fields between the starters and the developmental groups, he stayed with the starting group with Mullens while McCarthy and second-year man Hall trotted over to the other field.
Again, this is not a definitive sign of where McCarthy stands.
Which other new additions stood out?
How about 28-year-old cornerback Shaquill Griffin?
Jefferson jawed with Griffin after an incompletion Thursday in a seven-on-seven rep. Griffin seemed amused by the conversation. He’ll likely pay for the back and forth in training camp, but his confidence is unmistakable.
“It almost gives me that same feeling as Patrick Peterson when he came into the building,” safety Josh Metellus said Wednesday. “He’s a guy who has seen a lot of football, and he’s giving us tidbits, especially the young guys in the corner room.”
The Vikings tried to rely on Akayleb Evans and Mekhi Blackmon in 2023. Both struggled at times, forcing Byron Murphy Jr. outside. Griffin’s presence allows defensive coordinator Brian Flores to move Murphy back inside in nickel packages.
“You’ve got a guy in Byron who has been primarily inside his whole career,” Metellus said. “Now you’ve got a guy in Shaq who has been primarily outside. So, you get the best of both worlds in that room.”
Another significant aspect is Griffin’s comfort in man coverage, which the Vikings used more of this week than last year. Expect Flores to spin the coverage dial more in 2024 to stay unpredictable.
Who else should fans be keeping their eyes on?
Two names.
One defender and one skill player.
Theo Jackson and Ty Chandler.
Countless staffers and players brought up Jackson’s name this week. He filled in for some of safety Cam Bynum’s first-team snaps when he left the field for a brief rest. Metellus even said, “I’ve been telling (Jackson) for a few weeks, ‘You’ve been balling.’”
Chandler’s name should not be a surprise here. Right tackle Brian O’Neill said last year he’d long felt Chandler was one of the team’s most explosive players. Phillips reiterated that message Thursday.
“I see us as having a one-two punch at running back (alongside Aaron Jones),” Phillips said, “almost like they have in Detroit. I don’t know if that’s what’s happening on the offensive side, but I know that we have two true No. 1 running backs. I’d buy stock in Ty Chandler if I could.”
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Vikings unveil 'Winter Warrior' uniforms to be worn vs. BearsWhat about a player who has not been in the building until this year?
Tonyan.
The Vikings worked out the former Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears tight end a few weeks ago and were blown away. They signed the tight end who caught 52 passes in 2020 and 53 in 2023. He already looked like a favorite target of the quarterbacks’ this week.
Tonyan played only 28 percent of the Bears’ offensive snaps last year. He described the dip in opportunity as a “tough situation, going from playing 60 snaps a game to 10.” He wants to prove the Bears’ decision not to use him was a miscalculation.
Is there an undrafted player to pay attention to?
Dwight McGlothern, a cornerback who played in college at LSU and Arkansas.
McGlothern played at LSU for current Vikings defensive backs coach Daronte Jones, who at the time was LSU’s defensive coordinator. McGlothern met with Jones before his pro day at Arkansas, and their relationship played a role in McGlothern’s signing with the Vikings.
Thursday, McGlothern was one of the final players on the field, listening intently to Murphy, who passed along tidbits about techniques to use when pressing receivers.
“In college, there are formations that other teams would come out in, and I would already know the play (they were going to run),” McGlothern said. “Here, so far, you just have to rely on your technique, alignment and leverage.”
McGlothern spent most of this week with the developmental group, but Thursday, the Vikings tossed him in with some of the starters. Neither size nor length is an issue. He stands 6 feet 2 and is as lanky as Evans, who is big for the position.
Who didn’t show up and why?
Jalen Nailor, who was one of the more impressive Vikings performers throughout the first few organized team activities, was not present this week. The Vikings said he missed workouts due to an illness. Absences have been a theme for the 2022 sixth-round pick, who lost time last year because of a lower-leg injury and concussion. His uncertainty also raises a question: Do the Vikings need another receiver beyond Brandon Powell and Trent Sherfield? (If you’re asking me, the answer is yes.)
Fourth-round cornerback Khyree Jackson did not practice Thursday due to an illness, and the team said tight end Nick Muse was not there because of an undisclosed injury. During all three practices, tight end T.J. Hockenson and edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel jogged on a side field. Both are progressing well, according to O’Connell.
