2020 Vikings Training Camp

2. Right side of OL looks strong

The right side of the Vikings offensive line features some familiar faces, even if one player is in a new position.

Garrett Bradbury (center) and Brian O'Neill (right tackle) return from their starting spots from 2019, while Pat Elflein has shifted to the right side after spending the past two seasons at left side.

The three linemen each won both of their individual reps in 1-on-1 drills on Tuesday. Bradbury walled off Shamar Stephen and Jaleel Johnson, while Elflein got the best of Hercules Mata'afa on the interior. O'Neill was also solid as he went up against Jalyn Holmes.

That trio also opened up some holes in 11-on-11 drills, including for a sizable run for Alexander Mattison in the first team period of practice.

3. Bailey continues hot start

Dan Bailey is off to a perfect start in camp, as the veteran kicker nailed all four of his kicks Tuesday.

Bailey hit a PAT and a pair of 41-yarders in team drills, while also adding a 48-yard kick that was true.

So far in camp, Bailey has made all seven of his opportunities, with the kicks ranging from 33 to 48 yards.

Bailey was a three-time NFC Special Teams Player of the Week in 2019 as he made 27 of 29 field goal tries.

Dantzler with the stars

It’s tough to ignore the increasing success of Cameron Dantzler at corner, though a highlight-driven case for Dantzler as a starter isn’t necessarily wise. His interception in the second day of padded practices — the fourth day of camp — likely grabs the most attention. His best play, however, was still probably a pass deflection on the day prior.

Any time a corner sees a ball come his way and he finds a pick, that’s a good play — but what translates best going forward is what he does on accurate passes, and that pass deflection was closer to the kind of play that showcases repeatable, difficult skill.

That said, Dantzler hasn’t been completely clean. As he and Jeff Gladney continue to trade reps with the first-team nickel defense — Holton Hill and Mike Hughes seem to have locked down the starting spots in base defense — Dantzler has had trouble locking down smaller, quicker receivers like Alexander Hollins and Chad Beebe. Beebe in particular did a great job in the fifth day of practices finding ways to get open against Dantzler.

Still, if Gladney isn’t creating big plays like those sideline pass deflections or deep interceptions, it should be Dantzler’s job to lose, right? Not necessarily — the Vikings have downgraded highlight-reel cornerbacks in camp before. In 2014, Derek Cox led all camp defensive backs in interceptions by a good margin and still found himself on the street at the conclusion of camp, despite the cornerback room looking a little bare.

There’s clearly almost no risk that they cut Dantzler, but the point remains that a few camp highlights won’t be enough to win the starting job outright. His mistakes are prevalent, too — though Mike Zimmer still reserved praise for the third-round pick, telling media over teleconference that, “(Dantzler) seems to be pretty disciplined in what he’s doing and what we’re asking him to do. If we tell him to step with his left foot, he typically does that. He’s been good in press (coverage) with the technique that we’re trying to teach. He just seems to be able to take it from the meeting room to walkthrough to the practice.”

Not only that, he reaffirmed Adam Thielen’s praise from several days ago, pointing out that players typically do a pretty good job figuring out who will succeed.

So is the Dantzler hype real? In some ways, yes — he’s outperforming what anybody should expect a rookie corner, especially a third-round pick, to do in Zimmer’s system. But in other ways, it’s pretty clear that the camp battle rages on. It might even be the case that in a more physical environment, like the preseason, that Jeff Gladney would be drawing plaudits.

As for the other corners, Hill is having the strongest camp. He’s demonstrated more consistently sticky coverage, has come down with his share of pass deflections and interceptions — though nothing like the leaping plays Dantzler made — and has done it against every style of receiver. He has no qualms about playing physically in camp and probably should be charged with pass interference a bit more. But as long as the in-camp ref calls it clean, he’ll do it and succeed.

Hughes earned an interception in the fifth day of camp and might be establishing the “confidence” that Zimmer mentioned recently that he wanted to see from the young corner.

“(Hughes) needs to have more belief that when he goes out there he can cover anybody,” Zimmer said. “I think that’s the biggest thing with Mike. If Mike will just say, ‘Hey, I got this guy, it’s me, let’s go, you and me,’ I think that part will help him mature faster and be a better player quicker.”

To that end, Hughes has been playing a lot of reps against Thielen and often struggling. But when put up against the other receivers in camp has acquitted himself well.

We’ve also seen some good play from Kris Boyd — who continues to take reps on the second team — and Nevelle Clarke, who has the ability to take advantage of mistakes receivers make. Clarke needs to do more in situations where receivers play cleanly throughout the rep, but that’s not a bad skill to showcase. It may also be worth keeping an eye on Mark Fields, who has had some strong recent days.

Changing of the guards

The Vikings continue to rotate first-team left guards Dakota Dozier and Aviante Collins, and after comments from Zimmer that they would establish a clear starter fairly soon, started playing Dozier more and more often in those reps. For people wanting Ezra Cleveland to win the job outright, they’ll have to wait a little bit longer.

It’s entirely possible that Cleveland could follow the path of fellow offensive lineman Brian O’Neill or another second-round pick in Eric Kendricks — playing as a backup for the first several games before earning the starting job. Cleveland hasn’t played poorly, but he hasn’t won every rep either and hasn’t proven he demands the starting job.

The starting interior is having a difficult time with Jaleel Johnson, who continues to put together a strong camp thus far — doing a great job penetrating the interior and finding the edge on stunts and twists.

Riley Reiff had a bit more of a difficult past two days than he did to start out camp, though this could entirely just be a product of defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo beginning to show out. Odenigbo’s good days often mean bad days for the veteran left tackle, and the Northwestern product might be proving he’s more than just a starting-quality edge rusher.

What’s the catch?

If people are hoping that Justin Jefferson can replace Stefon Diggs right away, don’t count on it. Jefferson has been firmly placed on the second-team unit, only rotating as often as any other receiver into the first team. He hasn’t played poorly, but against second-level competition, he should stand out more if he’s to prove to have an immediate rookie impact. It’s also somewhat telling that every single two-minute or late-game drill features Chad Beebe as the third receiver, not Jefferson or anyone else.

That doesn’t mean Beebe is automatically the third receiver in most situations or even that he’ll end up making the roster. They likely prefer him there because the two-minute offense is a different playbook and he has experience in the system, unlike Tajae Sharpe or Jefferson.

Beebe’s camp had been going well, though his ever-present issue of drops reared its head again, with the most recent practices featuring a good deal more of them. While he can generate separation seemingly at the drop of a hat, his ability to complete the process remains an open question. Sharpe isn’t having a difficult time by any means, but he’s about as remarkable — or unremarkable — as Jefferson is. Hollins seems to be having a more exciting camp than either of the two of them, and his strong start continued into the past two days.

K.J. Osborn has done a little bit more recently than he did to begin camp, though it will be difficult to figure out the receiver depth chart if he can’t win the returner job. With Bisi Johnson locked in alongside Thielen and Jefferson, Osborn has to compete with Sharpe, Beebe and Hollins for a spot at a position that may only field five players to begin the season.