Minnesota Vikings training camp preview: Will S Lewis Cine and CB Andrew Booth Jr. earn starting jobs?

EAGAN, MINN. — The Minnesota Vikings open 2022 NFL coaching camp Tuesday on the TCO Efficiency Heart. This is a better have a look at a couple of storylines:

Essentially the most compelling place battle: Security. We all know veteran Harrison Smith will man one of many two beginning spots, however the second will probably be decided by means of a comparatively high-profile competitors between first-round draft choose Lewis Cine and second-year participant Camryn Bynum. The Vikings did not draft Cine to be a backup, and prime picks typically have the sting in place battles. Getting into the draft, the Vikings had been particularly impressed with Cine’s potential to diagnose route ideas on the snap, along with his hitting potential and pace. However Bynum acquitted himself properly final season throughout a three-game stint as a starter. He will not go down and not using a combat and will immediate the staff to think about using some three-safety packages.

Participant with essentially the most to show: Heart Garrett Bradbury. The 2019 first-round draft choose has been a starter for the previous three seasons, however his efficiency in 2021 prompted real concern that he’s not a long-term reply on the place. Amongst different knowledge factors, he ranked No. 31 of 32 eligible facilities in ESPN’s go block win charge metric (90.9%). The Vikings declined the fifth-year choice on his contract, however their new regime determined to provide him one other (and certain closing) probability to ascertain himself. There aren’t any apparent replacements on the roster, however that would change, if vital, later this summer time.

Largest query: Is new coach Kevin O’Connell the lacking ingredient? The Vikings took a comparatively uncommon method after firing long-time basic supervisor Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer. New basic supervisor Kwesi Adofo-Mensah left the roster largely intact, and his largest transfer was to signal quarterback Kirk Cousins to a contract extension which means he possible will stay the starter by means of the 2023 season. By default, that leaves O’Connell because the change agent. It is going to be as much as him and his employees to shepherd the same group of gamers to the postseason after they fell brief in three of the previous 4 seasons. We’ll begin discovering out this summer time.

Fiercest fantasy-relevant battle: Tight finish Irv Smith Jr.’s targets. There isn’t any query that Smith would be the Vikings’ beginning tight finish, a yr after struggling a season-ending proper knee damage. And we all know how a lot Cousins likes focusing on tight ends. (Since he grew to become a full-time starter in 2015, he ranks No. 4 amongst quarterbacks in tight finish targets.) However Cousins has quite a lot of mouths to feed, from receivers Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen to tailback Dalvin Cook dinner. Coaching camp will give us our first glimpse at understanding how O’Connell and Cousins will disperse the ball, all whereas working in playmaker Kene Nwangwu.

Camp prediction: Rookie cornerback Andrew Sales space Jr. will emerge as a starter. The Vikings have been raving about Sales space ever since buying and selling as much as draft him within the second spherical, and he joins a place group that’s ripe for newcomers. Strictly from a ability and playmaking perspective, Sales space was among the many greatest cornerbacks within the draft. His damage historical past pushed him into the second spherical, however he believes that surgical procedure to restore a hernia in March has put him on the highway to everlasting restoration. If that is the case, and he goes by means of coaching camp wholesome, he’ll show adequate to start out reverse Patrick Peterson — or on the very least within the nickel bundle that the Vikings will ceaselessly use.