The Minnesota Vikings will see their rookies report to training camp on July 23rd with veterans reporting on July 25th. Training camp will be very interesting one for the Vikings this year, as it will be about building upon a 13-4 2022 season.
Kevin O’Connell won’t have to install his offense this season and there is a lot of continuity within the unit. After the starting unit, there is a lot of intrigue as to what we are going to see in 2023.
Going into training camp, we identified five offensive players that are flying under the radar that could make some noise this August.
1. TE Josh Oliver
The Vikings are projected to utilize more 12 personnel this season and the choice to do so is rooted in a lack of success running the football in 2022. Oliver comes over from the Baltimore Ravens where he transformed into a really talented run-blocking tight end. When he was a third-round pick out of San Jose State by the Jacksonville Jaguars, Oliver was viewed as a vertical pass-catching weapon. The real intrigue here is whether Oliver is now a complete package and can help the Vikings take huge advantage of base defenses.
2. RB Ty Chandler
With the release of Dalvin Cook, Alexander Mattison is primed to take over as the Vikings RB1. He has performed admirably in those situations before, but wasn’t great. That leaves the door open for players behind him to step up and Chandler is a prime candidate to take the reigns in the backfield.
A fifth-round pick in 2022, Chandler has the size and versatility to be effective on all three downs along with real explosiveness (99.7th percentile 10-yard split). His wrist injury midway through the season prevented him from breaking out. The one area that will give him the most opportunities is on third down, where Chandler can pass block better than anyone else in the room. Seeing Chandler in training camp will likely open a lot of eyes.
3. C Alan Ali
The offensive line is one with a lot of continuity. They have brought back their entire starting five along with all five backups from the 2022 season. That alone is a massive benefit for the Vikings in trying to establish a better unit.
Ali is an intriguing player on the interior. Standing 6’6″ tall, he is a larger-than-normal center and has some experience at playing guard as well with SMU in 2018. The ability to play multiple spots is valuable and something that Austin Schlottmann doesn’t have. Ali has a real chance to make the team with a good training camp.
4. WR Jalen Nailor
The wide receiver position has a lot of intrigue to it. After Justin Jefferson, there is no certainty in the hierarchy. K.J. Osborn and Jordan Addison are likely WR2 and WR3, but after that is a lot of question marks.
Nailor is the only wide receiver that the Vikings selected in the 2022 draft with wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell having pounded the table for him. Nailor showed a little of what he can do with nine receptions for 170 yards and a touchdown. It was in technical garbage time, but putting up good numbers like that is never a bad thing.
5. RB Kene Nwangwu
As mentioned earlier in this piece with Chandler, Nwangwu has a opportunity to shine and earn real playing time. He is going into his third season out of Iowa State and was widely viewed as a raw prospect. He has turned himself into a dynamite kick returner with the ability to continue to grow as a running back. Nwangwu was getting second-team reps during minicamp and that is likely to continue unless someone else steps up during training camp. If Nwangwu figures out the nuances of the running back position, watch out.
