After welcoming players back to TCO Performance Center last month, the Vikings have been slowly easing into things. Now they are officially back on the practice field with organized team activities underway and mandatory minicamp to follow next month.
Though it’s important not to put too much stock into these workout sessions in the spring — especially considering live contact is still not permitted — they do give a good baseline of what to expect in the summer.
Here are five storylines to keep an eye as the Vikings start organized activities:
How does J.J. McCarthy look?
The most intriguing part of the next few weeks will be getting to see McCarthy step into the spotlight.
After being selected by the Vikings with the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, McCarthy spent the spring and the summer behind Sam Darnold on the depth chart, then suffered a torn meniscus in an exhibition game that landed him on injured reserve for all of last season.
Now back to full strength, McCarthy is the presumed starting quarterback for the Vikings, even if they won’t make it official for the foreseeable future.
This will be the first time since being drafted that McCarthy will get a majority of the reps with the starters.
Whether he’s throwing to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, handing the ball off to Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, or simply taking snaps from Ryan Kelly, the experience will be valuable for McCarthy as he takes ownership of the offense.
There’s probably going to be a feeling-out process for McCarthy after not playing in a game as a rookie. Let’s just agree not to overanalyze every mistake he makes.
What does the backfield rotation look like?
It will be interesting to see how the Vikings handle the reps with Jones and Mason in the backfield. That will be more informative than trying to draw any conclusions about either running back based on how they look with the ball in their hands.
It’s pretty clear that the Vikings don’t want Jones to handle the same workload as last season, when he set a career high with 306 touches. That’s why they went out and acquired Mason via a trade with the San Francisco 49ers.
Will there be a defined role for each player? Will it be more of an even distribution when it comes to carries? Will it simply be based on who has the hot hand?
The answers to those questions remain to be seen.
Will there be a battle for No. 3 receiver?
It was a breakout campaign for Jalen Nailor last season as he recorded 28 receptions for 414 yards and six touchdowns. The assumption is that Nailor will move forward as the receiver behind Jefferson and Addison.
That said, the Vikings drafted Tai Felton in April, and the rookie will likely be given a chance to make a name for himself. The process of doing that started a few weeks ago when Felton turned some heads in rookie minicamp.
The competition should bring out the best in Nailor and Felton. Truthfully, with how much the Vikings throw the ball, there will opportunities for both players to make an impact regardless of where they end up on the depth chart.
Where will Donovan Jackson slot in?
The starting offensive line won’t be fully intact for awhile. Not only is Christian Darrisaw still recovering from a torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments, there’s also a world in which the newly signed Will Fries is brought along slowly after working his way back from a broken tibia.
Meanwhile, the Vikings recently drafted Jackson, and while they feel confident about his future at left guard, it’s unclear if they plan to throw the rookie right into the fire with the starters. If the Vikings decide to bring Jackson along slowly, Blake Brandel will likely get the nod in the meantime.
Who is going to step up in the secondary?
As happy as the Vikings were that Harrison Smith decided to delay retirement, the loss of Cam Bynum can’t be overstated. He played virtually every snap at safety last season, so the Vikings will have their work cut out for them as they work to replace him.
The next man up is Theo Jackson. He has garnered praise from Smith and Josh Metellus in the past, so there’s reason to believe he’s ready for the moment.
As for the rest of the secondary, Byron Murphy Jr. is the only known commodity at cornerback.
The rest of the depth chart is rather unproven with Isaiah Rodgers, Mekhi Blackmon and Dwight McGlothern, among a handful of others, all jockeying for spots. If nobody emerges as a viable option opposite Murphy, the Vikings could look to add a veteran free agent at some point.
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