4 Winners and 2 Losers from Vikings Practice 8/17: Brandel is Center of Attention

EAGAN, MN — The Vikings returned to the practice fields of TCO Performance Center on Monday after returning from their first preseason game against the Giants this past weekend. The team kept things relatively slow, starting a padless practice off with a walkthrough. The team is still adjusting to the lessons learned in New Jersey over the weekend, and it prepares to host the Baltimore Ravens for joint practices Wednesday and Thursday before facing off at U.S. Bank Stadium on Saturday.

For the most part, the offense was slow. Kyler Murray had a few nice passes, including a 20-ish-yard gain to Justin Jefferson over the middle early on. Murray also found some success with a certain tight end in red-zone work later on.

But the defense dominated the day, largely due to self-inflicted wounds from the offense. Murray had a pass deflected at the line by Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins that was intercepted by Dallas Turner and had the ball knocked out during his throwing motion by rookie Caleb Banks. While it was a rough day for Murray, I’m sparing him from the list based on just how well he practiced last week.

8/17 Vikings camp summary. pic.twitter.com/pxvZAWxvUy
— Jason Harmon (@JasonHarmonNFL) August 17, 2026

Outside of QB1, here’s who won and lost in Eagan on Monday.

Winner: T.J. Hockenson

Hockenson is easily one of the more divisive topics surrounding this team. His time with the team since being acquired via an in-division trade in 2022 has been quite the ride. For the most part, it's believed that Hock has not been the same since his brutal knee injury at the end of 2023. But on Monday, we certainly saw flashes of better times.

Hockenson hauled in two impressive red-zone TDs from Kyler Murray in tight coverage on Monday, reminding those in attendance why the team prioritized extending him before the 2023 season. If the Vikings' pass attack is going to be at full strength in 2026, Hockenson will need to bring in the types of catches we saw today on a consistent basis.

#Vikings QB Kyle Murray find TJ Hockenson in the back of the end zone.

(Via Vikings IG) pic.twitter.com/grVVL4gU6d
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) August 17, 2026

Winner: CB Zemaiah Vaughn

Vaughn was originally a long shot to make the 53-man roster in my initial projection, but days like Monday would go a long way in helping to change that. He made his presence felt today in a way he had yet to do so far through camp.

He intercepted Carson Wentz in red-zone drills and broke up another pass later in practice, busting out some of the celebratory moves we’ve seen from fellow corner Chuck Demmings. Vaughn has some faithful supporters in the fanbase, and if he stacks days like this against the Ravens later this week, they may have further fuel for the fire.

Loser: Carson Wentz

This weekend sparked increased discussion about Wentz potentially fighting J.J. McCarthy for the team’s QB2 job, but Monday represented the first real stumble for the 33-year-old journeyman.

Wentz had two interceptions, the aforementioned pick to Vaughn and another interception to Byron Murphy Jr. in 11-on-11 action toward the end of the day. Wentz has mostly looked to be the “adult” in the QB room, providing a steady and consistent presence through the summer. Monday was the first day where he seemed genuinely off in his accuracy and delivery. If he can get back on track this week, things may get interesting at the QB2 spot, especially if J.J. McCarthy struggles.

Winner: Andrew Van Ginkel

The fan-favorite do-it-all defender has had a relatively quiet camp, but that doesn't always tell the full story. Monday was a perfect example of why impacts aren't always measured in the box score.

Early in practice, “Gink” had a would-be sack on Murray and was in charge of running contain on the elusive QB through the majority of the day. While many in the fanbase are excited about the potential of rookie Jake Golday taking snaps in AVG’s role in camp, it's clear that the 31-year-old vet has a football IQ that is hard to replicate.

Winner: Jeshaun Jones

Spoiler for my next 53-man projection: Jeshaun Jones is replacing Dontae Fleming as WR6. Jones has just been consistent day in and day out through camp. While Fleming has had some flashier moments, it's hard to ignore that number 82 keeps showing up.

Monday, Jones made a leaping contested catch in the back of the end zone against camp sensation Chuck Demmings off a throw from J.J. McCarthy, one of many similar plays we’ve seen so far through camp. Jones will look to build his tape even more when the Ravens come to TCO Performance Center this week.

#Vikings QB JJ McCarthy threads the needle to Jeshaun Jones.

(Via Vikings IG) pic.twitter.com/1vLWoHQlRL
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) August 17, 2026

Loser: Blake Brandel

This brings me no joy to say, but Blake Brandel does not appear to be the Vikings’ answer at the center position. The five-year veteran has repeatedly proven himself valuable to the team as a flex-lineman before being asked to step in and play center for the first time in his football journey last year.

The team decided it liked what it saw over his five games at the position and gave him the clearest shot at being the team’s starter in 2026. So far, it is not going well.

Snap locations and timing have been an issue all through camp, and today was no different. Brandel misplaced one snap so badly out of the shotgun that the ball went right past Murray and would have been recovered by Jake Golday for a touchdown if the rest of the team wasn’t standing behind the play. Another misplaced snap out of the shotgun almost hit the grass, but Murray snagged the low ball and found Jordan Addison downfield for a first down.

I wasn't at Vikings practice today, but this Blake Brandel snapping thing is starting to get concerning. The accuracy of his shotgun snaps has been an issue throughout camp. https://t.co/3WaPebTg6c
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) August 17, 2026

It's hard not to feel for Brandel, who has been the definition of a team player and solid rotational piece throughout his entire career. It just seems that center may be the one offensive line spot he’s not cut out for.

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