Five Breakout Players From the First Week of Vikings Training Camp
After six straight days of practice, the Vikings took their first day off day in a week on Saturday. They've had seven official practices in the last eight days at TCO Performance Center in Eagan, and we've been able to learn a lot about the team during that time.
This off day provided a good time to take a look at some of the players who have done the most to improve their 2020 prospects since training camp began. There have been strong performances from stars like Kirk Cousins, Harrison Smith, and Anthony Harris, but those guys were already locked into big roles this year. Instead, we're focusing on players who needed to prove themselves during camp and have done exactly that up to this point.
Here are the top five breakout players from the first week of Vikings camp.
Holton Hill
Entering this year's camp, much of the conversation surrounding the Vikings' retooled cornerback position focused on the two first-round picks on the roster: Mike Hughes and Jeff Gladney. Instead, it's been two other corners who have stood out the most. That's not to take anything away from Hughes, who has been solid, and Gladney, who doesn't appear to be all the way back to 100 percent after offseason meniscus surgery. They just haven't shined like Holton Hill and Cameron Dantzler have.
Let's start with Hill, the 2018 undrafted free agent out of Texas. He had a fantastic first week of practice and might be cementing himself as the Vikings' No. 1 corner. Hill has been strong throughout camp, but had a particularly excellent Wednesday, making impressive pass breakups against Tajae Sharpe and Adam Thielen.
Hill's size, athleticism, and physicality give him a chance to be an outstanding NFL corner. He showed a ton of potential as a rookie, but an eight-game suspension last year derailed that upwards trajectory. According to Mike Zimmer, he's been more mature and business-like this year. If Hill can stay focused and put it all together, he could have a huge third season. For more, check out what I wrote about Hill on Wednesday.
Cameron Dantzler
Hill has been the Vikings' best all-around cornerback, but Dantzler is leading the group in highlight plays. He made a diving breakup of a deep ball intended for Thielen on Monday, and followed that up with an interception the next day. Both balls were thrown by Cousins, which is a great sign for the third-round rookie.
There have been some rookie moments for Dantzler, but for the most part, his play has been extremely exciting. Like Hill, he's got great size and length that allows him to make plays at the catch point. Dantzler's lack of speed – which was the main reason he fell to the third round – hasn't been a major issue so far. He's never going to be a Trae Waynes-type burner, but he can make up for that with his technique and playmaking instincts.
Dantzler seems to be ahead of Gladney at this point, and it might even be possible that he's pushing Hughes for snaps with the starting base defense.
Alexander Hollins
The Vikings have gotten strong performances from Bisi Johnson and Justin Jefferson thus far in camp, with those two players firmly separating themselves from the rest of the pack as the team's No. 2 and 3 receivers behind Adam Thielen. However, no receiver did more for himself during the first week of practices than Alexander Hollins.
After a season spent mostly on the practice squad, the 2019 UDFA from Eastern Illinois appears to have made major strides heading into his second NFL season. He's always had speed, but Hollins has been much sharper than expected when it comes to route-running and making contested catches. He has beaten Dantzler deep a couple times already, and also went up to make a fantastic catch over Kris Boyd on a 50-50 ball.
Over the course of just a week, Hollins has gone from probably being on the wrong side of the roster bubble to a strong candidate to make the 53-man squad.
Jaleel Johnson
This was already going to be a big camp for Jaleel Johnson, the 2017 fourth-round pick who is entering a contract year. Then Michael Pierce opted out, and a major opportunity was there for the taking at defensive tackle. So far, Johnson has stepped up to the plate.
While it can be difficult to evaluate trench play during camp, Johnson has consistently made things happen. With Shamar Stephen replacing Pierce at nose tackle, Johnson slid over to three-technique and has worked exclusively with the starters. It's possible he's taken advantage of poor play from left guards Dakota Dozier and Aviante Collins at times, but that shouldn't take away from his success. Johnson has used his burst and strength to get into the backfield and create disruption on a number of plays.
Armon Watts has also had a strong camp, but he's been working at nose tackle with the second team so far. Johnson seems to be establishing himself as a starter on the defensive line heading into this season, which is good to see.
Mike Boone
The Vikings have a phenomenal 1-2 punch at running back with Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison, but don't forget about the third guy in that room. With Cook taking minimal reps during 11-on-11s, Boone has stepped up and gotten a ton of work with the second team offense. He has looked great in those reps, showing a ton of burst and making decisive cuts.
Boone clearly added some muscle this offseason, but it hasn't affected his explosiveness. He's got a low center of gravity and hits the hole with a ton of acceleration. Boone's issues in the Packers game last Week 16 were mainly mental, so hopefully he's been able to clean those up this offseason. He has also looked good as a pass-catcher in the early-going.
Honorable mentions: Justin Jefferson, Bisi Johnson, Armon Watts, Garrett Bradbury, K.J. Osborn, Jalyn Holmes, Ifeadi Odenigbo, Nevelle Clarke
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