Everything we'll be watching for as pads come on

Training camp truly begins with the first pop of pads

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By Matthew Coller

The first portion of Minnesota Vikings training camp is in the books. Now it’s on to the popping pads. On Monday, the Vikings begin the physical part of the summer and since that’s usually a game changer, let’s have a look at what it means for each position…

Quarterback: The rep split

Through the first three days of Vikings practice, the majority of the reps with the first team have gone to Kyler Murray but that doesn’t mean JJ McCarthy hasn’t gotten a fair share. The total amount of plays that each quarterback has operated is right around 50-50.

Is that going to be the case as the practices become more serious?

After three practices, Murray has shown a pretty strong grasp of the offense. Especially on Saturday, he was accurate and on time with the vast majority of throws. If that continues into the first week of padded workouts, will we see the reps tilted much more toward Murray?

It stands to reason that if Murray and McCarthy are neck and neck that Kevin O’Connell would want to use the upcoming practices to get a bigger and bigger sample size so he can make a decision as soon as possible. But if McCarthy does not perform at the same level as Murray and continues to be plagued by inconsistencies with accuracy and timing, then the competition’s trend could be pretty apparent by the next off day on Thursday.

Because McCarthy is still getting way more work than you would traditionally see for a backup quarterback, we can’t say that the competition is over or that one strong practice by Murray should mean that he’s locked in at QB1 but the rep trend after three days does match up with what we expected when Murray signed with the Vikings.

Running back: Run blocking, Mason and Claiborne

Everyone around the Vikings has shown excitement about the new run scheme, from O’Connell to the offensive linemen. We aren’t privy to the details and it will be hard to identify specifics out on the practice field but we will be able to see if it’s working. Specifically, the Vikings made a change at offensive line coach this offseason, so the O-line should look in sync with the padded plays and we should be seeing Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones finding holes consistently.

Mason specifically has been looking spry over the first few days and the coaches have praised his offseason work to add to his quickness and agility. He is always an impressive player in training camp because of his rare movement skill for the size but the question we’ll start answering in early padded practices is where the ceiling stands for him in 2026. Could it be more of a RB1/RB2 situation with Mason as the lead back? Or will it be split? The reps won’t tell us because they are trying to keep Aaron Jones healthy but the performance may offer hints.

Folks shouldn’t forget about Zavier Scott because he proved last year to be capable of getting into games and being trustworthy. But the shiny new toy is Demond Claiborne, a 4.37 speedster whose quickness jumps out, even during warm-ups. Pads often tell the story with undersized speedy runners.

And we can’t leave out Max Bredeson, who is doing a ton of work already with the first team and appears to be a big part of the team’s scheme.

Wide receiver: Chemistry with Jefferson, depth opportunities

Thus far, the connection between Murray and the superstar receiver has been impressive. During 11-on-11s on Saturday, the former Cardinal QB hit Jefferson five times on five targets, including several downfield throws. How does that chemistry continue to build as things become more intense? Murray will face “pressure” in the padded practices and lots of different looks from Flores, so he will need to remain on point with Jefferson as the landscape changes.

Will McCarthy get chances with Jefferson? He hasn’t been totally locked out of first-team reps but he’s rarely connected with 18 when he has been on the field with the 1s.

Chemistry with all the targets matters but the offense is built around Jefferson’s all-world talent. It will always be the most telling thing as to whether a quarterback is doing it right or not.

It’s been an interesting start for the depth receivers. Tai Felton has gotten a ton of run and made a couple nice catches, including one downfield from Murray late in practice on Saturday. He’s the favorite for WR4 and Myles Price has been working a bunch of reps as well, indicating he’s more than just a kick returner. But Dillon Bell and Dontae Fleming have a chance to get into the mix as well. Bell was a minicamp darling and has made a couple of impressive plays to start camp and Fleming was at the right end of a Murray deep ball on Thursday. It may take until preseason to really see some separation but the pads coming on offers each guy a chance to show he can excel during a harder practice.

The center position

Last year Blake Brandel played 363 snaps at center and held his own, giving up either one or zero QB pressures in each of his final three starts there in 2025. The Vikings bet on that performance turning into solid starting play with a quality group around him at the other four positions. In the first couple days of practice, there were some snapping issues, which will be worth watching closely. His daily battles with Levi Drake Rodriguez, Domonique Orange and Brian Flores’ blitzes will also be a marquee event. It’s hard to think of a defense that would better prepare a center to communicate.

D-line: Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange’s involvement