Vikings Training Camp Notes, Day 7: Danielle Hunter Continues to Sit
Friday was the end of a long, important week for the 2020 Minnesota Vikings. It was their sixth straight day of practice, and the pads came back on after a slow day on Thursday. In 85-degree heat, the team got through another tough but somewhat uneventful practice and will be rewarded with a day off tomorrow.
After that, Sunday's practice will mark exactly three weeks until the season opener against the Packers. The Vikings are planning on simulating the final ten minutes of a fourth quarter, so that'll be a big one for players looking to stand out.
With seven total practices in the books, the depth chart is starting to take shape in Minnesota. Here are a few quick notes and takeaways from Friday's practice.
Hunter misses sixth straight day
Danielle Hunter, arguably the overall best player on the Vikings' roster, hasn't participated in a practice since last Friday. He has missed each of the last six, although he's at least been out there in a visor and no pads for the past couple.
Is there reason for concern yet? No, I don't think so. We still haven't gotten a comment from Zimmer or anyone else about Hunter since the Vikings' head coach said he had a "little tweak" at the beginning of this week. Still, it's interesting that he's been out for so long.
Hunter doesn't need much work in camp to be ready to star on Sundays, but it'll be noteworthy if he continues to sit going into next week. His absence has also meant right tackle Brian O'Neill hasn't gotten the valuable work of consistent reps against Hunter. Jalyn Holmes continues to work with the first team at left defensive end.
Guard concerns remain
This morning, I published a story on why the Vikings' plan to start Dakota Dozier and Pat Elflein at guard is rather concerning. There was nothing on Friday that changed my mind in that aspect, especially when it comes to the left guard spot.
Dozier had a couple ugly reps, including one where Shamar Stephen – who is notorious for struggling to create pressure as a pass-rusher – blew by him into the backfield. Dozier and Aviante Collins also struggled with Jaleel Johnson, who is having an impressive camp thus far. Of course, it's a zero-sum game with these things. It's difficult to tell on a given rep if the result was because of a great play by one guy or a bad rep from the other.
Elflein didn't exactly have a bad day, but Hercules Mata'afa got the best of him on at least one rep. In better news, Garrett Bradbury looked good, which is a positive sign for his chances of taking a major leap in his second year.
Hollins impresses again
At this point, I think it's safe to say that the Vikings' top three receivers are Adam Thielen, Bisi Johnson, and Justin Jefferson (that's also the order for now, though spots two and three may change eventually). After that, Tajae Sharpe seems like the leading candidate for the WR4 job. If you assume KJ Osborn will make the team because of his returning abilities, that's five receivers right there. The Vikings have kept just five in each of the last two years.
However, I think there's a legitimate chance the Vikings keep six this year. Brandon Dillon hasn't had a great camp, which could mean the Vikings keep only three tight ends and add a sixth wideout. Gary Kubiak has hinted at using more 11 personnel this year, so keeping six receivers (like the team did in 2016 and 2017) would make sense.
If that's the case, the two guys fighting for that sixth roster spot at WR are Chad Beebe and Alexander Hollins. Beebe has an extra year of experience on Hollins and is trying to prove himself all over again after an injury prematurely ended his 2019 campaign. With that said, he has had occasional issues with drops, including a couple on Friday. I think Hollins was the more impressive of the two, beating standout rookie Cameron Dantzler for a nice catch during drills.
Other notes
- WR Dillon Mitchell and CB Kris Boyd also sat out of practice. Both were present but watched from the sidelines without pads.
- Mark Fields II is a name to keep an eye on at cornerback. He plays with some impressive physicality as a slot corner and made a couple nice breakups on Friday. He's got an outside shot at cracking the 53-man roster.
- Dalvin Cook's workload seemed to increase slightly on Friday, but he's still not doing a ton. Alexander Mattison and Mike Boone continue to get a ton of work, and both look quite good.
- UDFA play of the day: linebacker Jordan Fehr forced a fumble after a catch, causing the defense to go wild. He might have a chance to make the team as the fifth linebacker over Hardy Nickerson Jr. and Blake Lynch.
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