2020 Vikings Training Camp

Shamar Stephen

Last year’s starter at three-technique for much of the year, Stephen played much more like a nose tackle — which is what he started out as for the Vikings when they drafted him in the seventh round in 2014 and what he might now be headed back to after Pierce’s decision. Playing as a backup to Joseph, he later came back to play next to him. Always a hybrid, he played three-technique in college and finally reprised that role — to the tune of six total pressures over the course of the year. While he did help clear up space for linebackers in the run game, the Vikings will very likely want to see some pressure production from this position going forward, whether it comes from him or someone else.

Strengths: Positional versatility allows him to fill either defensive tackle role in case of injury. Good understanding of run/pass reads from the offense. Holds double-teams well from either position and prevents guards from hitting the second level on time. Good anchor generally prevents getting pushed back or create new lines. Remarkable strength for his size. Power rusher that can push pockets when his hands get inside the chest. Does a good job shedding on the backside of plays to prevent cutbacks. Balance is an asset; doesn’t end up on the ground too often.

Weaknesses: Extremely limited production as a pass-rusher. Doesn’t have the get-off from the snap to effectively penetrate the backfield from first step. Quickness doesn’t let him attack the shoulder of guards or centers to get inside and flexibility is limited. Smaller arsenal of pass-rushing moves and unintuitive with countermoves and setups. Needs to hit punch with timing to have an impact or he gets washed out. Limited tackle radius without much in the way of pursuit or finishing burst. Holds double teams but doesn’t effectively split them. At nose tackle, will occasionally lose anchor and get overwhelmed — if he’s not winning in the first second of the snap, he’s liable to create new rush lanes.

Armon Watts

After a surprisingly successful season as a backup nose tackle, Arkansas hybrid defensive tackle Watts might be set up to be the starting three-technique for the Vikings, where he did the most damage as a Razorback. Despite his one-hit wonder status in college, he’s already beginning to look like a reliable piece of the Vikings roster that might even be a valuable contributor as a starter. The next question is whether or not he can play a different defensive tackle position and if he provides plus value there. If not, there seems to be room for him to compete for the starting nose tackle job.

Strengths: Plays a lot like a defensive end as a pass-rusher — seeks the edge, plays with flexibility and some speed-rush moves. Good focus on hand-fighting and plays that part of the game with efficiency and intelligence. Demonstrates a surprising variety of pass-rush moves, including rips, swims and spins. Length is an asset here and generates additional leverage. Extremely effective as a nose tackle despite playing three-technique in college and playing underweight. Decent read/react to run/pass developments in the play — an issue he had in college but seemingly resolved now. Can play with an excellent first step and generally has great explosiveness. Can maintain a high level of burst and finishes well. Good combination of athletic traits, from explosiveness to agility to strength. Splits double teams as a nose tackle.

Weaknesses: Length can be a double-edged sword; extremely tall for a defensive tackle and can struggle to maintain leverage and get underneath guards. Was late to react to the snap in 2019, though that wasn’t a big issue in college — mitigated his first step, as did his wider stance to accommodate his height. Significant problems getting to the lane against wide zone; linemen beat him to the edge and gain pivot leverage. Falls significantly far behind if he doesn’t anticipate the play. Much better as a pro-active player than reactive but put himself in a position to react much more often. Also better attacking the runner than sitting anchor against double teams to clean things up for linebackers. Played well at nose in 2019 but might be more suited to three-technique where height and weight aren’t as big of a concern — but athleticism may not translate there as easily as it did at nose tackle, where he outpaced his peers.

Jaleel Johnson

Fitting the Vikings pattern of players playing different positions than they did in college, Johnson arrived in Minnesota having played the pass-rushing under-tackle position at Iowa. His time in Minnesota seems to have placed him at nose tackle, however, and he might be falling behind Watts in that respect. There’s value to having Johnson on the roster, but it’s also easy to see how this could be his last year on the team, what with the significant number of bodies meant to compete for his job. The potential saving grace for Johnson is that he’s now, unambiguously, the largest defensive tackle on the roster and could play the vacated nose tackle position in a way that hybrid players like Watts and Stephen can’t.

Strengths: Surprising ability to get skinny, especially to split double teams. Great balance; doesn’t appear on the ground too often. Good sustain and anchor when stuffing the run against double teams — doesn’t lose ground. Has done significantly more to master technical and mental side of the game — does a great job recognizing run/pass keys and adjusting appropriately. Technical ability allows him to generate leverage from the first step, and his hand timing and placement are at a high level. Significant strength, both upper- and lower-body.

Weaknesses: Most recent run of significant snaps (2018) saw him at the bottom in production metrics, including pressure rate as a pass-rusher and run stop rate. Limited as an athlete — reliant on first step but doesn’t have significant closing ability, flexibility or agility to get around the edge of guards. Has difficulty beating offensive linemen to landmarks on wide zone. Exacerbated issues with snap timing — doesn’t react well or anticipate the beginning of the play. Limited athletic capability means limited tackle radius.

Jalyn Holmes

Holmes has had a few years to complete his transformation to full-time defensive tackle, but he hasn’t done enough to impress the Vikings as a long-term solution at the position — and Holmes is in an unusual spot where he seems just as likely to win the starting job as he is to miss the cut for the final 53. He might have a bit of an advantage without a preseason given that the Vikings know what they have in him, but he’ll still need to prove he can do more than the new set of tackles the Vikings have brought in.

Strengths: Like Watts, Stephen and James Lynch, has a lot of length to work with. Also has an impressive wingspan to complement his height. Has a good history of using his length well, especially when out-levering on swim moves. Good balance and can recover from awkward angles. Has done a good job distinguishing run/pass keys. Ability to hit the shoulders and slither through gaps can be stunning. Played some edge rusher against Chicago and looked fairly good there — especially with hand placement and using length to create distance and disengaging. Ability to flex outside hasn’t been hurt by his transition and could provide shadow depth at the position. Can hit the outside of wide zone runs and meets landmarks.

Weaknesses: Extremely poor production when he saw the field, and the Vikings didn’t see fit to give him those opportunities over other lacking options in the first place — half his snaps were in the Week 17 game against Chicago. Strength doesn’t match other defensive tackles — while he can power through offensive tackles, guards in tight spaces give him more fits, especially when his upper-body strength is challenged. Lower body strength also an issue — decent get-off but not much sustain against base blocks in the run game. Doesn’t balance the advantages of length with the disadvantages of height, especially with regard to leverage off the snap; pops up too high and gets pushed off the ball. Tackle radius generally good but can miss tackles in short spaces.

James Lynch

An incredibly productive edge rusher for Baylor, Lynch was originally listed as a defensive tackle recruit — the role he’ll end up playing for the Vikings. As the premier edge defender for Baylor, he led the FBS in pressures by a substantial margin and posted one of the most impressive production profiles we’ve seen at the position. Now the Vikings are asking him to take that and switch positions, somewhat a product of his playing style and somewhat a product of his frame, generally regarded as not ideal for the edge position in the NFL. If he can take what made him so successful in the Big 12 into the NFL, he’ll be a fantastic pick out of the fourth round.

Strengths: Great instincts for run/pass keys; doesn’t get fooled by play-action and reacts to plays instantly. Great flexibility for his size. Extremely physical player; combines play awareness with toughness to effectively set the edge — forces runs to bounce inside. Complements physicality with strength — upper-body strength good enough to push players into rush lanes and powerful punch allows him to win hand-fighting battles. Great bull-rusher, somewhat reminiscent of Odenigbo. Good use of hands at the point of attack and a variety of pass-rush moves. Does a good job controlling offensive linemen’s hands. Good instinct for batting passes; often turns dead pass-rushes into opportunities to get hands on the ball. Aced Vikings psychological tests for defensive tackles. Age (turns 22 in January) is an asset.

Weaknesses: Position transitions are always a concern and his production dropped off tremendously when rushing from the inside, especially on third-down plays. An extremely high rate of missed or broken tackles — while he does an excellent job getting to the ball-carrier, missing those tackles is a concern. Limited tackle radius wasn’t an enormous issue in college but did appear from time to time, and projects to be a much bigger problem in the NFL. Explosion and acceleration are both concerns. Doesn’t fire off the snap and can lose the timing battle. Won’t beat athletic tackles to the edge and speed concerns force him to play as a finesse or power rusher. Speed not as big an issue inside but will still impact pursuit and ability to get to zone run landmarks. Will get pushed off the ball on the inside against double teams.

Hercules Mata’afa

After some off-hand praise for Mata’afa from Zimmer early last offseason, the hype train seemingly took off for the undersized tackle once tabbed as a potential linebacker for the Vikings. His college capability and production were too much to ignore, and the Vikings let the former Washington State defensive tackle add weight and reprise his college role. His brief appearance in the NFL wasn’t spectacular, however, and now he’ll have to prove — without a preseason — that he can earn the job outright against equally uncertain competition.

Strengths: Extremely high motor; doesn’t quit on plays and engages in long pursuit on a regular basis. Extremely quick off the snap and great attack speed. Active hands, consistently finding ways to keep the pass rush going. Good arsenal of pass-rush moves, including swim, chop, dip/rips and more. Fantastic balance, difficult to put on the ground. Generally good leverage, can find his way under pads consistently. Breaks down run/pass reads well.

Weaknesses: Blown off the ball in the run game on a consistent basis — overwhelmed at the point of attack. Doesn’t have power moves in his arsenal at the moment. Can’t push players into the pocket if he doesn’t have a pass-rush angle. Won’t squeeze run lanes. Poor bend; attacking half-shoulders doesn’t always result in space — needs to win the entire angle before threatening the quarterback. Poor timing — doesn’t always hit the jersey or hands as a result. Length concerns magnify timing issues, and he can lunge too far forward, robbing him of power. Doesn’t have a response to longer guards who get in his chest. Added size in offseason, but unclear what impact this will have on his best assets, like quickness, or whether it will genuinely add strength — which is below an NFL baseline level and likely why he didn’t get many snaps after Week 1.

Mike Hughes

Now burdened with the responsibility of becoming the Vikings’ top cornerback, Hughes will have to live up to the evaluation the Vikings gave him when they judged him worthy of a first-round pick. While not outside the scope of his early-pick expectations, it still takes quite a bit of faith for Vikings fans to believe that Hughes can become a top-tier cornerback after only spotty appearances, and at least one notable poor performance, over the past two years. Nevertheless, Hughes has the baseline capability to provide a shot in the arm for the defense, even if falling short there means becoming a big liability. The lows are low — against Dallas, he allowed 154 yards on 17 targets. Outside of that, he’s only allowed 1.03 yards per snap in coverage.

Strengths: Purportedly a quick study; praised by Zimmer for picking up the playbook quickly and readily suited for difficult roles. Translates well to the field; does a good job reading route concepts and reacting to them in pattern-match assignments. Reads the quarterback well in zone and receivers in man. Hip fluidity is phenomenal and much better than his tested agility numbers would imply. Great at tracking the ball in the air, and good instincts to find the ball. Good click-and-close. Tends to do well in jump-ball situations with receivers. Good at forcing receivers to the sideline and limiting their passing windows. Plays aggressively against receivers, especially in press. Surprisingly good press technique. Solid footwork, especially in shuffle. Great at figuring out when to open the gate or keep hips closed. Good short-area recovery. Injury recovery might mean that he’ll play much better in Year Three than Year Two. Good at shedding blocks, especially to take on screens.

Weaknesses: Despite excellent balance in college, showcased a remarkable inability to keep his feet in the NFL — not just against Dallas but throughout the season. Generally can read receivers but hooked by receivers with multiple moves in the stem. Plays like tested time, making him a matchup liability against deep threats. Quickness is good, not great — quicker receivers can break free despite his route anticipation. Doesn’t just have bad matchups against speed or quickness, but size as well — height used to be considered average, but modern corners trend taller. Seems to shy away from contact in the running game despite overall tackling ability and capacity to shed blocks. Injury history worth monitoring. Was a strong returner in college, but has been a liability there in the NFL.

Jeff Gladney

Zimmer often mentions that he’d rather tell a player “whoa” rather than “go,” indicating a preference for the kind of player that might be too aggressive instead of a player that isn’t aggressive enough, figuring that it’s easier to tell a player to dial it down rather than ramp it up. No player on the Vikings roster might exhibit that better than Gladney, who has a strident commitment to play bigger than his size and punish receivers for daring to catch passes. It’s a perfect Zimmer fit, but whether or not he can pick up the system quickly enough to make a meaningful impact this season is another question, and a critical one for the Vikings.

Strengths: Extremely tenacious player; uses physicality and aggression as part of his playstyle and allows him to shut down any style of receiver, including bigger 6-foot-5 types. Physicality extends to tackling and run defense; runs through ballcarriers and completes the tackle. Jostles the ball loose on otherwise caught passes. Good understanding of positioning — not often boxed out. Complements that with good ball tracking and awareness. Remarkable pass deflection production — 30 over the last two years. Despite size, has the length and verticality to contest high passes, and often does so. Phenomenally quick feet and generally good footwork. Appeared on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List last year for squatting 620 pounds, hitting a max bench of 400 and max clean of 400 — strong throughout his core. Plays extremely fast on the field, especially in transition — often makes up ground if he loses a step. Remarkable ability to force incompletions, with one of the highest forced-incompletion rates of any cornerback in the draft — from both Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions.

Weaknesses: Size remains a concern despite length — good matchup against tall receivers in college doesn’t necessarily translate to the same in the NFL. Size also shows up when playing press; while physicality is admirable and strength is surprising, there are still moments he gets overpowered, especially off the release. Aggression runs too hot at times and is a big penalty risk, especially in the NFL given the higher degree of enforcement on pass interference-type penalties. Worth noting that speed testing doesn’t match purported field speed; gained weight for the combine and may not be able to play at that weight and still leverage speed advantage. Fell off in effectiveness in terms of separation allowed, deep ball capability and quick passes vs. 2018 tape. Relies a little too much on recovery speed, which won’t always be a useful crutch in the NFL; most targeted cornerback in the draft class because of initial problems with separation.

Holton Hill

There’s a good chance the Vikings lean on Hill this year in order to fill out their starting group of cornerbacks, and his time on the field has been surprisingly fantastic. After seeing an unusually heavy workload as an undrafted rookie, Hill was suspended for eight games as a result of two separate NFL policy violations and then returned to the field to play well once more. If any player on the team has sleeper potential, it might be Hill — but it’s far too early to say he can be a rock-solid foundational player.

Strengths: Allowed only 0.85 yards per snap over his 321 snaps in coverage over the past two years, per PFF — a top-15 mark among corners. Plays with surprising agility for his size, could be a product of choppy, quick footwork. Great speed for his size; tested time shows up and can win deep against all but the fastest deep threats. Extremely physical, even in off-coverage — seeks contact with all kinds of receivers. Can win physical battles even against tall and strong receivers, and consistently alters their route paths — even tight ends. Generally stays square without opening hips too soon. Can win in trail, shuffle, backpedal and other techniques. Still young for a corner — younger than Gladney. Has improved instincts, especially in man coverage. Generally good at reading offenses.

Weaknesses: Unreliable off the field — difficult to trust as a long-term starter; resources invested in developing Hill may go wasted if he makes another off-field mistake. On-field, plays off coverage a little too often, even when the play doesn’t demand it; opens up consistent underneath space. Tends to prefer keeping the play in front of him, which means he can be late to arrive. Ball awareness in contested situations not always there; doesn’t always get his head turned around if he’s trailing. Quickness seems to be limited to lateral and stop-and-go quickness, can still get turned around by shifty or quick receivers. Doesn’t have a lot of leaping ability. Showed grabbiness in college and first-year NFL play. Needs to do a better job using physicality productively, like pushing outside receivers to the sideline.

Cameron Dantzler

Nicknamed “the Needle” in high school for his hard-hitting style combined with his matchstick-skinny frame, Dantzler’s tenacity embodies what Zimmer typically looks for in a press corner. His matchups against high-level receivers in the SEC over the past two years have been filled with highlights and he did an excellent job against some of the best receiving corps in the country. He fell due to size and athleticism concerns in the draft, but if he can unlock his potential, there’s a lot there to like.

Strengths: Really phenomenal at the line of scrimmage. Great press technique, patience and physicality. Jolts receivers off the snap and alters route path and timing significantly. Doesn’t have many technical holes to his game; really solid footwork through most of the route and generally well-placed in tight coverage situations — good ball tracking and great at positioning and boxing out on contested catches. Good instincts for either playing hands, eyes or the ball in and out of phase in coverage. Put his hands on 25 passes over the past two years in the form of 21 pass deflections and four interceptions, leading the team in pass deflections both of those years. Intelligent play; recognizes route combinations and has played a variety of pattern-match, zone and especially man schemes. Acts on instincts. Great click-and-close in zone and reads quarterback eyes well. Remarkably tenacious and physical — tackles through ballcarriers and mixes it up in the air. Quicker than his frame suggests with some hip fluidity.

Weaknesses: Bizarre combine/pro day situation that lends significant uncertainty as to his athletic talent. His official 4.64-second 40-yard dash is catastrophically poor, historically speaking. Heavier corners can get away with a little less speed, but light corners absolutely need it, and his extraordinarily thin frame in college despite concerted efforts from college staff to bulk him up over his career is a huge concern. Also a significant possibility that physicality doesn’t translate and could get bullied throughout the route. Has lost ground on standard stalk blocks from receivers and lack of strength is evident despite success in press. Physicality can boil over and lead to committing penalties. Technique in press and at catch point are great but can lose significant ground at the top of the stem and allow significant separation. Tackling success in college mostly because of physicality; poor form and prone to missed tackles. Can make timing errors competing for the ball in the air.

Kris Boyd

A darkhorse to compete for a starting job, Boyd has the experience in the Zimmer system to be worth a look, especially with his frame and athleticism to recommend him to the job. While he’s struggled in his limited NFL play, the history of Zimmer corners suggests that there could be a potential breakout to come. Even without that, having a player like Boyd competing for a depth position is generally a good place for a team to be, and he can provide some back-end support to a starting lineup that is difficult to be fully confident in.

Strengths: In college, demonstrated good instincts for following route paths, especially in zone coverage. Paired that well with high-level athleticism — which showed up in testing in both speed and agility — and a good frame, and there’s a great package to work with. Like most of the corners the Vikings have acquired or kept on, has played with significant physicality. Pairs that with high-level strength for his size and can move receivers out of the picture, especially on sideline routes. Showcases skillset that can work inside as well as outside.

Weaknesses: Technique throughout the process needs work — misplaces hands in press coverage, opens the gate too early in off coverage, footwork puts him at a disadvantage throughout the route. Inefficient movement — takes five steps to do something that should take two. Fooled by misdirection too often; can be juked on double moves. Ball skills need work; doesn’t track the ball well and mistimes jumps. Poor positioning on contested catches. Late to pull the trigger on what he sees sometimes. Overcorrects with grabbiness and can incur penalties.

Harrison Hand

A heady player who was initially recruited by current Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule for Temple, Hand followed Rhule to Baylor when they hired Rhule. Starting as a freshman, Hand earned an all-conference honorable mention but missed game time the following year because of injury. Hand transferred back to Temple for family reasons and once again started immediately, generating three interceptions and eight pass deflections. He chose to declare after an extremely successful year and his experience picking up new systems and implementing them immediately might be what puts him onto the roster in an unusual year for rookies.

Strengths: Purported to be a heady corner that can pick up systems quickly. Great eyes for reading quarterbacks in zone. Patient, especially when playing off, and waits to open the gate. Good at avoiding conflicted assignments and great at nailing route combinations. Good close in zone coverage. Plays hands in phase in man coverage extremely well. Good ball-tracking and instincts to position in the air. Generally good tackling form, complements his physical play. Will alter route path at any point in the route and is willing to squeeze the sideline. Incredible explosion scores at the combine (41-inch vertical, 11-foot-1-inch broad jump) which show up in his vertical play. Decent start-stop quickness. Seems to play with more length than he was measured at; always finds his arms in the way of the ball.

Weaknesses: Poor fluidity — change-of-direction for turns greater than 180 degrees is limited. Aggravates that problem with poor footwork that puts him out of position and behind the receiver. Full athletic package is average-to-below average and will lose faster or quicker receivers. Fluidity issues mean his high-level recognition can be wasted with inefficient footwork and poor agility. Recovery speed is a big issue. Technical and physical limitations leave a lot of separation and there aren’t many receivers that would be considered “good matchups.” Injury concerns worth noting — broken finger kept him out of significant rotation his sophomore year. Struggles in man coverage and overall athleticism issues have led many to suggest a transition to safety.

Nate Meadors

A versatile corner with the capability to play any role in the backfield as well as play on all four special teams units, Meadors seems like exactly the kind of player that fits on a depth chart, especially in a season without much certainty. That said, his place on the bottom of the roster as well as a rocky final year at UCLA means he has to prove he can perform his many roles at a reasonably high level instead of merely showcasing the fact that he’s experienced.

Strengths: Experience in every role in the defensive backfield and every special teams unit. Listed as a corner last year but played significant snaps as a safety in the preseason and in camp. Played looks where he turned 3-corner/2-safety looks into 4-corner/1-safety looks. Good route recognition, especially in zone — finds the correct landmarks and drifts with the quarterback’s eyes. Stays patient and square to the line of scrimmage when off. Good shuffle and backpedal when played closer to the line of scrimmage. Great explosion and agility scores in athletic testing and vertical testing shows up on the field. Aggressive player against the run, more than willing to fill gaps contrary to college play.

Weaknesses: “Versatility” might actually mean “doesn’t have a role” — hasn’t showed the complete set of skills to totally take over a role. Speed is a serious athletic limitation — may not be able to play any cornerback role because of it. Has difficulty with recovery and doesn’t have the burst to close separation gaps. Not much experience in press, even after time in the NFL. Gets bullied at the catch point and has issues altering route paths for receivers — strength concerns may make it difficult to truly play safety and also impact cornerback play.

Nevelle Clarke

With the addition of undrafted free agent Clarke to the roster, the Vikings have two pairs of cornerbacks from the same school, with Boyd and Hill representing Texas while Hughes and Clarke hail from UCF. Both Hughes and Clarke started in UCF’s “national championship” 2017 season, though it wasn’t until the next year that Clarke really came into his own. Clarke’s production has been remarkable, and he’s earned some buzz as an undrafted free agent in part because of how well he did in 2018 and 2019.

Strengths: Remarkable ball production. Twenty-eight pass deflections and four interceptions over the past two years in 24 starts. Great ball tracking, good positioning. Plays with a lot of confidence and regularly attacks the ball. Plays with significantly more length than he measured with (76-inch wingspan, 31 5/8-inch arms) and clogs passing lanes. Natural press corner, with good instincts for movement — good jam on the line of scrimmage and solid trail. Like most of the Vikings acquisitions at the position this year, plays with some degree of physicality throughout the route and pushes receivers to the sideline on boundary routes.

Weaknesses: Gambler — much of his production comes from what look like guesses. When he’s wrong, gives up a big play. Not all pass deflections are made equal. Those big plays aren’t always just because receivers catch passes in blown coverage — tends to grab to make up for lost ground and gave up seven penalties over the last two years as a result. Balance issues — can end up on the ground, especially in transition. Explosive route-runners can leave him behind. Often overplays deep ball; could be result of low-end speed — opted out of running the 40-yard dash at the combine but performed every other drill. Loses deep threats despite cheating deep. Can misread receiver routes and often bites on simple route-running techniques. Despite physical style of play can get overpowered by reasonably large receivers.

Mark Fields

Fields is the second Clemson cornerback claimed in the Zimmer era who played out on the outside in college but needed to make a transition to the slot in the NFL, and they likely hope his expanded physical prowess will do more for him than Mackensie Alexander did early in his Vikings career. A speed demon at the position, Fields did a fair amount of work disrupting deep shots, especially on the sideline. But measuring in below 5-foot-10 means he’s unlikely to see too many outside snaps. If he can adapt, he’ll be an interesting addition to the company of unknowns filling out the cornerback depth chart but the odds are fairly long after having already been traded by one team.

Strengths: Significant experience playing press coverage in college, where he excelled. Good jam technique and use of hands at the line of scrimmage, as well as recovery speed to get back in phase after the receiver breaks free. Great fluidity and change-of-direction along every plane. Good at staying in phase in man coverage regardless of the route concept. Footwork short and choppy, allows better quickness but still maintains speed. Able and willing run defender.

Weaknesses: An outside man-coverage corner being asked to play zone in the slot seems like a recipe for disaster. Had significant issues recognizing multiple routes at once. Not much awareness in zone and can get caught in coverage conflicts. Slow to react to the play as it develops; doesn’t arrive at the ball in zone coverage. Size is a concern, even in the slot. Limited arm length as well. Doesn’t convert many balls in the air to interceptions and doesn’t generally have the ball tracking many other cornerbacks do. Plays catch-up with receivers more often than the number of times he plays with anticipation and heads the receiver off their route. Physical playstyle but will likely get overwhelmed — strong for his size, but not strong enough for the NFL. Has a history of grabby play.

Marcus Sayles

An undrafted free agent for the Bills in 2017, Sayles couldn’t find a roster spot with them or the Rams, who picked them up for their practice squad after his release. Instead, he spent two years in the CFL and earned a spot on their All-Star team as well as a championship ring. Still only 25 years old, Sayles might be able to use his third chance with an NFL team to earn a spot on a depth chart sorely needing talent.

Strengths: Super athlete whose athleticism showed up on the field in the CFL — 40-inch vertical, 11-foot broad jump and 6.56-second three-cone, all astounding scores, even after adjusting for the fact that he tested at 177 pounds. Vertical lift was extraordinarily useful in the CFL, where he generated more than one leaping interception. Knows how to get his hands on the ball — 10 pass deflections and five interceptions in his final year at West Georgia, along with a career of 12 interceptions and 24 pass breakups. Seven pass deflections and three interceptions in 2019 CFL play as well. Doesn’t just track the ball well, but also does a great job with positioning in jump-ball situations. Thirteen career blocked kicks at West Georgia — a national record — and generally a special teams maven with experience on all four special teams units. Hard hitter, generates additional incompletions with his hits. Instinctive understanding of space in zone.

Weaknesses: Athletic profile is impressive in every way except straight-line speed, generally considered the most important aspect of cornerback athleticism. Will lose faster receivers deep downfield. Size is a concern — 5-foot-9 and 177 pounds — and might be limited to slot role as a backup in the NFL. Can get bullied around by bigger receivers, especially the bigger receivers seen playing in the modern slot. Played an unusual hybrid position in the CFL called defensive halfback, which combines the roles of boundary corner, slot corner and safety. Not much experience in press in college or CFL and likely missing technical and physical attributes of a solid press corner. Off coverage needs more efficient footwork; plays exclusively by feel. Can lose receivers on double-moves and finds himself losing space in man coverage.

Ezra Cleveland isn’t a starter (yet) — or a tackle (yet)

The Vikings need help on the offensive line, but their second-round pick isn’t being handed a starting spot. While the Vikings will probably have rookie starters at wide receiver (Jefferson) and cornerback (Jeff Gladney), Cleveland has a way to go to earn a job.

And Cleveland won’t start out as a tackle even though he was drafted to eventually replace Riley Reiff. In walk-throughs, Cleveland is playing second-team right guard. They’re going to let him compete for that job along with Aviante Collins and Dakota Dozier.

While it initially seemed that Cleveland might have a chance to unseat Reiff this season, offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak reiterated that he was pleased with Reiff’s play last season and that the left tackle will continue to hold that job in 2020.

“We’re going to take it a day at a time, but he’s a very bright player and we felt like we should start somewhere where he hasn’t had many reps, make sure he gets them there,” Kubiak said of Cleveland. “We know he has a comfort zone to go back outside. We’ll settle him down probably after about a week and we’ll take a look at exactly where we think he should be and what gives him the best chance to help our team.”

Cleveland has drawn plenty of comparisons to right tackle Brian O’Neill. They were both second-round picks, both praised for their athleticism, both selected more because of their potential than their readiness for the NFL game. And yet, O’Neill got a chance to start early in his rookie season and hasn’t looked back since.

“I just know from my experiences with him so far, in virtual meetings and in the building, I can tell he’s locked in mentally,” O’Neill said. “I’d say he’s definitely in better shape physically than I was at this time, coming in a couple years ago. Really excited about what he can bring to us, and I’ll help him as much as possible — he knows that — and so will Riley.”

Dru Samia’s not yet a starter, either

Sticking with the offensive line for a moment, the other big news out of the start of training camp is that Samia hasn’t overtaken Pat Elflein for the starting left guard spot.

That comes as a bit of a surprise given Elflein’s continued struggles last season coupled with the fact that the Vikings signaled they were pleased with how Samia grew as a backup a year ago. But it’s clear now that the coaching staff wants to see a bit more from Samia before trusting the 2019 fourth-round pick with a starting gig.

When asked specifically about Samia, Kubiak sidestepped the question and complimented the entire offensive line.

“I have big expectations for Dru, for (Collins), for these guys that are young kids coming in playing,” he said. “Dakota did a great job for us last year. We’ve got a very competitive environment going on up front with our two new faces in Ezra and Blake (Brandel) also as well. We’ve got a very competitive group.”

Shamar Stephen is here to stay

As the Vikings re-made their defensive line this offseason, it seemed Stephen might’ve needed a great camp to retain his spot as the team’s starting three-technique.

But after the Vikings weren’t able to trade up for a defensive tackle in the second round of the draft, then after Michael Pierce opted out of the season, it seems clear that it’s Stephen’s job to lose.

And while Stephen’s statistics aren’t nearly up to par with others at his position, and while Stephen doesn’t provide much as a pass rusher, coaches continue to praise what Stephen does for linebackers.

“I think Eric Kendricks will tell you that part of the reason that he went to the Pro Bowl were those two big bodies sitting in front of him, OK?” said co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson. “They allow him to run from sideline to sideline and be free. Their No. 1 job in their life is to not let anybody touch Eric. People write stuff about Shamar Stephen, and I get it because everybody just looks at stats. But if you watch film and you ask Eric Kendricks if he had to pick anybody to go to the game with, I guarantee he’d tell you it’s (No.) 93 because 93 is not going to let anybody get to the second level and block Eric. They’re doing what we coach them to do. Some people take that three-technique role, and that guy’s a penetrating guy. He’s trying to get in the backfield and get tackles for losses and is better on his pass rush because he’s moving forward, but we don’t ask our guy to do that. We ask our guy to keep Eric Kendricks free. We want to flatten out the line of scrimmage. Don’t let any linemen leave the line of scrimmage, the inside guys, and let Eric free.”

Armon Watts has a big opportunity

Watts was one of the team’s pleasant surprises a year ago, going from a sixth-round pick to one of the final players to make the roster, to a contributor who seemed to make plays every time he was on the field.

He was always going to have a chance this training camp to earn more playing time. But that opening grew when Pierce opted out. Watts now may be the favorite to start at nose tackle

“Armon’s played really well, I think,” Mike Zimmer said. “He’s done a nice job when he’s been in there. He played a fair amount toward the end of last season. He’s a big, strong, athletic guy, so we’re looking for another big jump out of him this year. We’ve got guys in there, we’ll be alright.”

Watts really impressed coaches with his play against the Dallas Cowboys last season, performing well even against a good offensive line with a great running back.

Special teams stability

For the first time since Blair Walsh’s playoff miss at the end of the 2015 season, the Vikings enter training camp with little drama at kicker or punter.

Dan Bailey and Britton Colquitt both signed three-year deals in the offseason and return after a successful 2019.

“We’re going to look like a more polished group at an earlier stage,” Colquitt predicted.

Colquitt ranked No. 6 in the league in average net punt yards (42.6) last season while Bailey made 93 percent of his field-goal attempts. During the offseason, Colquitt, 35, and Bailey, 32, discussed the potential that they finish their careers together in Minnesota.

“Obviously it doesn’t get much better than here from a kicking standpoint,” Bailey said of playing for the Vikings — presumably because of location more than history at the position. “Nine games inside including Detroit ever year that’s guaranteed. That’s about the best you can ask for. The organization is great, the city is great. … So that would be the goal, for sure.”