3 things you can count on for the Vikings' preseason opener
The Minnesota Vikings will have their first dress rehearsal of the season when they travel to face the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday afternoon.
Most of the headlines coming into the game have been dominated by Kirk Cousins, who will miss the opener after testing positive for COVID-19, but there are still plenty of storylines to keep an eye on as the Vikings open the preseason.
A showcase for Kellen Mond
The absence of Cousins has gotten plenty of attention but he was unlikely to play in this game based on how the Rams treated Matthew Stafford while Kevin O'Connell was in Los Angeles.
Instead, this will be an opportunity for the backup quarterbacks...and it might get ugly.
Kellen Mond has flashed during training camp but his performance has also been filled with dropped snaps, turnovers and struggling to go through his progressions. These mistakes are normal for a young quarterback but are concerning since he needs to beat out Sean Mannion for the backup job.
This isn't a high bar to clear as Mannion has resembled more of a coach than a player during his career. Mannion has just one career touchdown pass over his seven seasons in the NFL and looked miserable during the Vikings' Week 17 loss to the Green Bay Packers last December, but Mond also looked unprepared during a three-play stretch late in the fourth quarter.
O'Connell said that both quarterbacks will play "a lot" in Sunday's game but Mond has the bigger opportunity. If he can look comfortable with the offense, it will give him the inside track for the backup job. If not, the Vikings will either have to entomb Cousins in a plexiglass case when he's not on the field or look into their options outside the organization.
A competition at center
It wouldn't be a Vikings camp without a competition along the offensive line but this year has a different wrinkle as Garrett Bradbury looks to keep his starting job.
Bradbury drew a rave review from O'Connell during the NFL Scouting Combine and was the unquestioned starter heading into training camp. One drill against Harrison Phillips later, O'Connell admitted there was a competition at center and that Chris Reed was taking second-team reps.
Viking fans saw this coming as Bradbury has been one of the league's worst centers over the past three seasons. The former first-round pick has ranked 29th, 28th and 38th in Pro Football Focus's overall grades the past three years and the Vikings would have been wise to seek an upgrade.
Instead, they'll play musical chairs along the offensive line to provide competition. Neither Reed or third-string center Austin Schlottmann has taken a regular-season snap at the position and Reed's struggles with snapping the ball have also been documented through camp.
This leaves an interesting data point for Sunday. If Bradbury plays, there is a competition. If he doesn't, he will need to prove he is adequate enough to keep his job. If not, the Vikings will break the emergency glass hoping that Reed or Schlottmann responds.
Vikings rookies stepping up
Last year's preseason was a miserable experience for the Vikings. Minnesota was blasted in their preseason opener against the Denver Broncos and was shut down in a home loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Mike Zimmer played his starters sparingly in the first two games but it was painfully obvious that there was no depth on the roster.
The Vikings come into this season looking for guys to step up, but the roster remains unchanged from last season. They will need players to step up to fix this problem, but who has the best chance to do so?
It starts with the rookies. Lewis Cine has been working behind Camryn Bynum during training camp but will likely start Sunday's game. A backup role may be concerning to some, but Cine has an opportunity to showcase the talents that made him a first-round pick.
There's also a chance we won't see exactly how Cine is used as new defensive coordinator Ed Donatell won't spill his entire bag of tricks during a preseason game.
Ed Ingram also has a chance to make an impact, ending the Vikings' never-ending question of "Can he play guard?" The second-round pick received first-ream reps in practice this week but is listed behind Jesse Davis on the team's unofficial depth chart.
Andrew Booth Jr., Jalen Nailor and Brian Asamoah are some of the other rookies that have stood out during camp and they have a chance to show that this roster is deeper than the Vikings had one year ago.
