How Likely Are the Vikings' Top Three Draft Picks to Be Week 1 Starters?
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One of the most interesting storylines to track during the first couple weeks of Vikings training camp has been the development of their top three draft picks: safety Lewis Cine, cornerback Andrew Booth Jr., and guard Ed Ingram.
Each of the three is currently in the midst of a battle for a starting job against a solid player who is either unspectacular or somewhat unproven: Camryn Bynum (Cine), Cameron Dantzler (Booth), and Jesse Davis (Ingram).
Based on talent and draft pedigree, all three rookies have a strong chance to become starters at some point during their debut seasons. But how quickly could that become the case? Playing at a high level as an NFL rookie is difficult, and the Vikings are going to put the best player on the field to begin the season, regardless of who it is.
With ten training camp practices in the books, let's check in on each of these rookies and assess the likelihood of them running out onto the U.S. Bank Stadium as a starter when the Packers come to town in Week 1.
S Lewis Cine: 50 percent chance to start Week 1
Maybe this is a cop-out answer. Maybe it's too low for a first-round pick with Cine's dynamic skill set and athleticism. But for the time being, it feels right.
As things stand one week into August, Bynum is still a first-team safety for the Vikings; Cine's only reps with the 1s have come when Harrison Smith has gotten a couple veteran rest days. Bynum has mostly played well during camp, which could make this a difficult decision for Kevin O'Connell, Ed Donatell, and Daronte Jones.
Remember, Bynum isn't at all a known quantity. The former college cornerback played 211 defensive snaps last year and just turned 24 years old. He's a fairly exciting young player in his own right, and he says he feels much more confident and comfortable at safety heading into year two. Bynum's two-game stretch against the Ravens and Chargers last year — in which he recorded a sack, an interception, a PBU, and 18 tackles — was legitimately fantastic.
The reason I bring that up is to say that Cine is far from a lock to start alongside Smith against Green Bay. Yes, he has more experience at the position and more long-term upside. Cine was a first-round pick for a reason and has the tools to become a great player in the NFL. But if the Vikings feel like Bynum gives them a better chance against Aaron Rodgers in Week 1, he'll be out there.
Either way, both Bynum and Cine are going to see the field plenty this year, given all of the different looks Donatell will throw at opposing offenses.
"Our observation skills will take over," Donatell said a couple weeks ago. "We’re going to expose those two guys to everything. Are we going to have some three-safety packages? Does one play nickel, one play dime? Do they both need a little more time watching other people? We don’t know the answers to that. But I know I’m very encouraged by both of them and I’m encouraged by how hard they study and work."
Andrew Booth Jr: 25 percent chance to start Week 1
Booth became the biggest early standout of camp when he intercepted Kirk Cousins in practice No. 1 and followed that up by talking plenty of trash to various wide receivers after individual and full-team reps. The combination of Booth's talent and mentality make him a very intriguing player to watch this season and beyond. Had he not dealt with injuries at Clemson and in the pre-draft process, he almost certainly would've been a first-round pick.
Still, cornerback is probably the single hardest non-quarterback position to play as a rookie. The transition to facing NFL receivers and QBs is very steep, and there's so much that goes into the position from a technical and mental standpoint. That's why I can't put Booth any higher than this right now.
Dantzler has been somewhat inconsistent through two seasons and has been burned several times in big moments, but his overall advanced numbers are quite good. He has good length and instincts, which help him hold up in man coverage. Dantzler is actually younger than Bynum; his 24th birthday is coming up in early September.
Booth has a chance to win this job right away if he plays at a high level for the rest of camp and shows out in preseason action. But the reason this number is lower than Cine's has to do with the difficulty of playing cornerback and Dantzler being more experienced at his position than Bynum is at his.
Ed Ingram: 40 percent chance to start Week 1
Heading into training camp, I would've put Ingram behind both Jesse Davis and Chris Reed in the Vikings' right guard competition. But Reed is no longer in the mix, as he's worked at both left guard and center with the second-team offensive line during camp. When Davis has taken a couple rest days, it's been Ingram in there with the 1s.
There are several reasons why I think Ingram has a chance to start right away. He was seen as a fairly experienced, pro-ready guard prospect coming out of LSU, with 35 starts at guard in his college career. The Vikings were obviously high on him, considering they took him in the second round, and he's been impressive in camp. Lastly, Davis is merely a decent veteran offensive lineman with some positional versatility, meaning he's not the highest bar to clear.
"All we’ve seen with Ed is him continuing to improve every day, to understand the techniques that we’re asking him to do," said offensive coordinator Wes Phillips. "He’s very stout. He’s got a great anchor. Late in the rush when he gets on an edge, he’s athletic enough to get his feet on the ground and push guys out of the pocket, create some expansion in the pocket. We’re really pleased with where he’s at. He’s just getting better every day."
Davis has 72 NFL starts and has been the first-team RG whenever he's been on the field at practice, so I can't put Ingram into the 50 percent range yet. Former second-round picks Brian O'Neill and Ezra Cleveland didn't start right away, either. With that said, it wouldn't surprise me if Ingram seized the job over the next four weeks and didn't look back.
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