Five things we're watching when the pads come on

Training camp takes a big step forward on Monday with the first Vikings padded practice

Photo courtesy Minnesota Vikings

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By Matthew Coller

EAGAN — Training camp doesn’t really begin until the first pad pops. So let’s dive into what we’re looking for when the intensity goes up a notch on Monday…

How JJ McCarthy handles real pressure

While it’s true that defensive players can’t hit the quarterback in practice, the pressure created by the defense is absolutely real. Before the pads go on, the defensive players can’t fully bull rush and use the full force of their physicality but after Monday all bets are off. That means McCarthy will have a much more accurate representation of the pocket than he did over the first four practices. During the “ramp up” period we also probably didn’t see Brian Flores go full Brian Flores when it came to dialing up blitzes and deception.

When pass rushers are going full speed there is a much greater emphasis on the timing of the ball coming out of the quarterback’s hands and his ability to navigate the pocket and decide when to escape. That will test McCarthy’s early feel for the timing of the plays and the speed of his decision making. We will also probably get a look at how he’s throwing on the run with his repaired knee. As for navigating Flores’ blitzes, we will probably have to give McCarthy some grace because the DC gets everybody from time to time, but how he performs against deception will be a good barometer for his progress.

Last year McCarthy practiced often against the first-team defense even though he was with the 2s, so it won’t be a foreign feeling for him to see big, scary dudes rushing at him.

Donovan Jackson’s performance and Will Fries’ health

How’s the first-round pick looking? Kevin O’Connell talked on Saturday about a play that impressed him from Jackson and what he’s looking for when the pads come on.

“There was a play that hits my mind: Jonathan Allen kind of got him off balance with a…move that Jonathan's really good at as a strong three technique rusher… he was in less than ideal base balance body position to fight this legitimate rush off and he was able to anchor down and survive the down for JJ to get the ball thrown. So that right there was the types of things that I'm looking for and we're looking for as a staff. But once again, we haven't put the pads on yet.”

Rookie offensive linemen might have the most difficult transition from college other than quarterback because the quality of competition is so much more challenging and things happen so much more quickly. Do we walk out of the first week of pads feeling like Jackson survived and looked like a starting left guard or that he has a long way to go? We won’t get all of the answers on his progress in a single week but maybe a baseline for where he needs to go.

Right guard Will Fries has barely seen the field in 11-on-11 situations as he continues his return from a leg injury suffered last year with Indianapolis. Will we see him this week? Blake Brandel has been taking the first-team reps in his absence.

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