The 25 most interesting players at Vikings training camp (5-1)
Who will we be watching closest?
By Matthew Coller
Training camp is nearly upon us and we have already counted down 20 of the most interesting players at Vikings camp. Let’s look at the top five…
5 — WR, Rondale Moore
When Moore came into the league as a second-round pick, he quickly found a role as a screen merchant, catching 36 of his 54 receptions behind the line of scrimmage and only three beyond 10 yards downfield. That tracked with his college production, which was largely made up of getting the ball into his hands as quickly as possible. In 2022, Moore showed that he could be more than just a behind the line receiver, catching 27 of his 41 passes beyond the LOS and seven over 10 yards. In 2023 the trend of him being used in more of a complete role continued but Moore never became the terrifying threat for defenses that he was expected to be when the Cardinals drafted him.
Can the Vikings carve out a role for Moore that can allow him to use his quickness and agility to take advantage of the fact that defenses are playing Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison deep over the top? Will he return to the same player post-injury that he was before he got hurt in 2024? Can he become more than a predictable screen receiver? Can he hold off Tai Felton and the other less experienced receivers on the depth chart to earn a job? Will this be a free agency steal or the next failed Kendall Wright/Tajae Sharpe/Jordan Taylor/Albert Wilson type signing for the Vikings?
4 — CB, Isaiah Rodgers
There is something Rodgers is bringing to the table that the Vikings haven’t had in quite some time at the cornerback position: Pure speed. He ran a 4.28 40-yard dash at his pro day back in 2020 and has shown that lightning quickness at times in his NFL career as a returner or in the 1,339 snaps he has played as a rotational cornerback.
But the Vikings weren’t just looking to add a little bit of juice to their secondary as the Eagles did last year with Rodgers playing 329 snaps. They are looking for him to transform into a starting outside cornerback.
The evidence suggests that Rodgers has always played well when given the opportunity. Opposing QBs have only an 86.6 QB rating when targeting him during his career and he has never had a PFF coverage grade below 71.8 (over 70 is good).
The fit with Flores’s defense in particular could give Rodgers a chance to really shine since he will be asked to wait in zones and break on the football and then rally to make tackles (he had an 80.6 run defense grade last season).
In theory it makes sense that the Vikings could identify another rising player as they have with Josh Metellus, Blake Cashman, Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel but… Will Rodgers be up to the challenge? The Vikings have a challenging opposing QB schedule this year with lots of offenses that will test the corners’ ability to tackle. If Rodgers shines in camp, confidence will be sky high that he can be a foundational piece going forward. If he struggles, questions will be remain going into the season about the strength of the cornerback group.
3 — G, Donovan Jackson
The Vikings’ first-round draft pick was selected to come into the lineup and make a major impact right away. His experience with a championship-winning team, maturity and sheer athleticism gives him a good chance to enter the lion’s den that is the interior O-line in the NFL and survive as a rookie. But can he be an upgrade on the players they have had there in the recent past? How much can Jackson’s athleticism change the dynamic with a Vikings interior line that has been patched together with tape and glue over the last decade?
Few players are set up as well to succeed as Jackson. On his left will be an elite left tackle and a Pro Bowl center will be lined up in his right. If he comes out of training camp looking like a difference maker, then the chances for the Vikings to have a top-five offensive line shoot up significantly.
2 — OLB, Dallas Turner
If there is one player who could single-handedly swing the Vikings defense for the better, it’s Dallas Turner. The 2024 first-rounder showed flashes of elite talent in his debut season but Flores elected to slow play his development rather than tossing him to the wolves. Well, now it’s time for Turner to prove that he is ready to step into the spotlight. But what does that look like, exactly?
With Patrick Jones and Jihad Ward exiting this offseason, there is a big chunk of snaps to make up in the rotational outside linebacker role. Turner’s usage last year told a story about what Flores might be planning for 2025 as he played on both sides of the defensive line both over the tackle and in the 9-technique outside linebacker spot. On a handful of plays he lined up at inside linebacker as well. Is he going to be similar to Andrew Van Ginkel? Is he going to play inside more and bump Ivan Pace Jr. off the field at times? Is he going to drop back in coverage often or only occasionally?
We only saw tiny hints in minicamp that coverage should be part of the equation but we won’t really get a true sense for it until training camp. The same goes for how Turner has developed his pass-rush arsenal, which was very raw last year.
If everything clicks with Turner, the Vikings’ defense can elevate to a completely different level from last season. His ceiling is that of an explosive, dynamic weapon that could cause major headaches for defenses as they try to deal with his quickness and identify where he’s rushing from. If things do not click in training camp, there will be a lot of questions about the outside linebacker rotation. Both Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel were in the top five in total snaps last season. That would seem to be something the Vikings would not want to repeat again but there aren’t many proven answers behind Turner.
It will be very interesting to see how we feel about the second-year edge rusher’s chances of excellence coming out of camp.
1 — QB, JJ McCarthy
Not only is McCarthy No. 1 on the list, he might be the most interesting player in training camp over the last two decades for the Vikings. The 2024 first-round quarterback showed last year in training camp that he was capable of running Kevin O’Connell’s offense and developing quickly on the fly. He flashed natural leadership capabilities, an improved touch on downfield and intermediate passes, an ability to see the field and calmness during the key two-minute drills. In minicamp, it looked like he picked up exactly where he left off. Will that be the case in training camp?
While the sample size from last year was telling, McCarthy saw almost no action with the first unit. Now that he is QB1, his chemistry with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor and TJ Hockenson will be absolutely vital. We will get a much better idea about whether he is really ready to start in the NFL than in his rookie year where his reps were with the second team and he played (mostly) Vegas Raiders backups in his one preseason appearance.
The pressure is immense in camp for any young QB taking the reins over for the first time but this is a unique situation because the Vikings’ roster is so stacked with veteran players. Among all 21 other projected starters on the field, only Donovan Jackson, Jordan Addison and Ivan Pace Jr. are under 25 years old. This is an experienced club that is ready to win now. It’s not a patiently rebuilding squad that is looking to slowly develop.
The good news for McCarthy is that he has already shown his teammates over the last 12+ months that he is willing to put in the work and knows how to lead the offense. This isn’t their first impression of him and it appears that the locker room has bought into him as The Guy. After all the waiting and anticipation, now comes the hard part: Making it happen.
Here is the full list of the top 25 most interesting Vikings at training camp:
1 JJ McCarthy
2 Dallas Turner
3 Donovan Jackson
4 Isaiah Rodgers
5 Rondale Moore
6 Christian Darrisaw
7 Tai Felton
8 Josh Metellus
9 Mekhi Blackmon
10 Levi Drake Rodriguez
11 Jordan Mason
12 Theo Jackson
13 Sam Howell
14 Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
15 Jeff Okudah
16 Dwight McGlothern
17 Max Brosmer
18 Will Reichard
19 Gabriel Murphy
20 Jalen Nailor
21 Gavin Bartholomew
22 Bo Richter
23 Silas Bolden
24 Zemaiah Vaughn
25 Jay Ward
Really surprised Jalen Redmond isn’t on the list. He is probably in my top 5. Guy rated 13 out of 219 for DI on PFF last year on 208 snaps and had at least a few handfuls of plays where he looked dominant. Was also a really high RAS guy for DT coming out of college if I’m looking at the right thing (9.68). LDR is a fun player, but Redmond is way more likely to make an impact based on what we’ve seen so far. If they can get a few more snaps out of Redmond at that same level of play it will be huge for that DL rotation.
Interesting top 5... And I think (in part because he did not participate in the May/June period and is an FA and not a draft pick) many Vikings fans have forgotten Moore`s existence. If there is a place to revive as a WR, the Vikings are a top location.