We are less than a week away from mandatory minicamp!
The two-day event on June 13-14 is a requirement for players across the National Football League and it will be the last time that the Minnesota Vikings take the field before training camp opens up in July.
During these practices, there is a good amount that you can take from them, especially since teams will be looking to install things on both sides of the ball. These 10 players are going to be the ones you want to keep your eye on during minicamp.
S Lewis Cine
After missing nearly all of the 2022 season with a broken leg, Cine has come back during OTAs looking just as explosive as he was pre-injury. A player that can do a little bit of everything on the back end, Cine is a great fit for the Vikings defense under Brian Flores. How he will fit in with the personnel will be interesting to see, as he can play in the slot, center field and roam around
CB Andrew Booth Jr.
Cornerback is the biggest question mark for the Vikings this offseason and the development of Booth is a big variable in that equation. A second-round pick in 2022, Booth fell due to injury and no athletic testing. He was always a player that would take time to develop since his skills were raw, but the potential was sky high. With Booth being fully healthy now, seeing what that potential will become will be the catalyst of the defense.
CB Akayleb Evans
Unlike Booth, Evans didn’t come in with a lot of hype. A fourth-round pick in 2022, Evans was viewed as the higher floor player with his skill set centered around staying in phase with receivers. He was a talented player in college and had some flashes this past season. The worry with Evans is he suffered multiple concussions in 2022 that ended his season early. If he stays healthy, a man coverage-heavy scheme will benefit him greatly.
WR Jordan Addison
Anytime the Vikings hit the field in the offseason, checking out the first-round pick is a must. A lingering injury held Addison out of practices the last couple of weeks, but it’s not something that Kevin O’Connell is worried about.
“Yeah, we’re being overly cautious with him right now, just something that kind of popped up toward the tail end of rookie minicamp,” said O’Connell. “Nothing serious at all. My big thing with him right now is there’s just so much learning going on for him. We’ve got big plans for him, obviously, but want to make sure mentally he’s in a good space and physically at his best when we allow him to truly go out there and turn it loose. And really, it’s just a matter of what phase of the offseason we’re in right now, where learning is at a premium, and we want to make sure he’s getting every possible resource and avenue that we can, so when his time comes to activate him fully within our group, he’s ready to roll.”
When he does hit the field, seeing how he will deal with the physicality and athleticism of NFL corners at 173 lbs will be key in trying to project him this season and beyond.
RT Brian O'Neill
Heading down the final stretch of the 2022 season, the Vikings looked like they finally had their offensive line figured out. Unfortunately, O’Neill suffered a partially torn Achilles tendon. Thankfully, it wasn’t a full rupture which makes his return significantly easier than if it was. How O’Neill looks upon his return to the field will be a big key in the success of the 2023 Vikings.
In minicamp, O’Neill will likely be practicing off to the side and not partake in team drills, but it will be worth noting how well he moves around when he does do workouts.
CB/S Jay Ward
The complexity and versatility of how Brian Flores likes to call his defense is something that will be fascinating to watch this season. Ward is a catalyst of that. Having played multiple snaps at outside corner, slot corner, in the box and deep safety, how Flores chooses to utilize him is going to tell us a lot about what they want to do moving forward and how they see Ward’s skillset translating to the next level.
QB Jaren Hall
Whenever you draft a quarterback, seeing him on the field will tell you a lot about his future. Every quarterback has a path to success, but most never reach it due to other elements at play. Hall is an excellent fit for the Vikings when you consider talent, leadership and experience in the offense that Kevin O’Connell runs. What can Hall be for this team? Can he really be the future? The answer is likely no, as he was a fifth-round pick. However, if there were some hope for him being the next franchise quarterback, seeing success right out of the gate will give you some hope.
EDGE Andre Carter II
What will Carter be in the NFL and how do the Vikings plan to use him? How much strength has Carter gained since coming out of Army to become an NFL player? There are a lot of questions surrounding Carter, but he most certainly has talent in droves. There aren’t a lot of players with the size, length and quickness that Carter possesses and it makes him a very intriguing developmental prospect. The real worry is his physique. If he can’t get strong enough to be an edge rusher on every down, that will be a major concern for his future.
EDGE Marcus Davenport
With the trade of Za’Darius Smith, the Vikings will be relying on Davenport to fill his role on the defense. Luckily for the Vikings, he fits that role very well. With his size and length, Davenport will be at his best attacking guards on the interior with stunts and lining up inside on pass rush downs. The big question with him will be consistency and staying healthy, two things that marred his five years in New Orleans.
ILB Ivan Pace Jr.
The top UDFA that the Vikings signed, Pace could factor in at the linebacker position early on with the lack of depth. What makes him an interesting fit is how good he is as a pass rusher, but doesn’t offer much utility in coverage or sideline-to-sideline. Seeing how he fits in and how Flores will deploy him will give us a sense of how they view him and his potential to make the roster.
