Vikings OTA Practice Recap, May 26: Hunter Absent, Jefferson and Peterson Shine
The Vikings' OTA session on Wednesday was their third since the new phase of the offseason began this week, but it was the first where media was granted access. Here are all of my observations from a sunny day at TCO Performance Center.
Five players absent
81 of the 86 players on the roster were in attendance at this "voluntary" OTA. The two big ones not present are Danielle Hunter and Jeff Gladney, both of whom are unlikely to practice anytime soon. Cameron Dantzler was also absent for personal reasons, as the second-year cornerback was celebrating his son's second birthday. This was the Vikings' final practice of the week, but Dantzler will be back out there next Monday.
Hercules Mata'afa and Britton Colquitt were the other two players who weren't there, presumably for personal reasons.
Depth chart notes
The Vikings always make their rookies prove themselves and work their way up the depth chart, so it should come as no surprise that Christian Darrisaw and Wyatt Davis have been working with the second team offensive line all week. Here's what the three OL units looked like, as Minnesota now has a full 15 players up front.
First team: LT Rashod Hill, LG Ezra Cleveland, C Garrett Bradbury, RG Dakota Dozier, RT Brian O'Neill
Second team: LT Christian Darrisaw, LG Dru Samia, C Mason Cole, RG Wyatt Davis, RT Oli Udoh
Third team: LT Evin Ksiezarczyk, LG Kyle Hinton, C Blake Brandel, RG Cohl Cabral, RT Zack Bailey
I still fully expect Darrisaw and Davis to be in the starting lineup come Week 1. Darrisaw is too talented not to beat out Hill, and Dozier was too awful last year to have any shot to keep a starting job (one would think). Cleveland and Dozier swapping sides from last season seems to indicate the Vikings are ready for Davis to step up and earn that starting right guard job that he held at Ohio State.
In a similar vein, Kellen Mond was working with the third team offense, with Jake Browning and Nate Stanley getting most of the reps at quarterback with the twos.
Defensively, Kris Boyd played with Patrick Peterson and Mackensie Alexander as the first team cornerbacks because Dantzler was gone. Stephen Weatherly and D.J. Wonnum were the first-team defensive ends, while Cameron Smith and Troy Dye appear to be ahead of Nick Vigil on the linebacker depth chart at the moment.
Observations
The Vikings followed a typical practice format, beginning with positional drills before getting into an 11-on-11 period and wrapping up with some situational stuff.
Jefferson shines — Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson has a lot to live up to in year two as he comes off of an earth-shattering rookie season. So far, there's been no reason to think he won't put together an equally dynamic second act. Jefferson looked like one of the best players on the field by consistently getting open, making impressive catches, and displaying his wheels after the catch. Another thing that stood out to me is how Jefferson, who hasn't even turned 22 yet, carries himself with so much confidence. He looks like a seasoned vet out there, cracking jokes and having fun but also getting his work in.
A fountain of youth for Peterson? — Patrick Peterson didn't look like his usual dominant self over the past two seasons, which raised some concerns that Father Time might be catching up to the future Hall of Famer. But the hope was that by coming to Minnesota, Peterson could bounce back in a scheme better suited for what he does well. No. 7 had an excellent practice on Wednesday, breaking up multiple passes, including one intended for Adam Thielen on a comeback route where Peterson broke quickly on the ball and made the play. If the veteran can have a strong season, that would be a huge boost for the Vikings' secondary.
Hand makes the play of the day — The biggest highlight of the team period came when Vikings second-year corner Harrison Hand tipped a Kirk Cousins pass that was behind Thielen and dove for the interception (the ball may have hit the ground, but who cares). The rest of Minnesota's defense swarmed Hand and celebrated after the play, which you can see at the 30-second mark of the video below. He's someone to keep an eye on heading into training camp this year.
Rookie spotlight: Ihmir Smith-Marsette — The fifth-round pick out of Iowa made a nice contested catch and a couple other impressive plays. He seems like a sharp route-runner with a personality that will make him a fan favorite. Smith-Marsette is definitely in the running for the WR3 and kickoff return roles this season.
I'll be back at TCO next Wednesday.
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