5 Biggest Takeaways from Week 2 of Vikings Training Camp
The Minnesota Vikings will wind down the second week of training camp this weekend, preparing for a preseason showdown at U.S. Bank Stadium against the Houston Texans on August 9th.
From player flashes to defensive supremacy, here are the five most important takeaways from Week 2 of Vikings training camp in Eagan, with the preseason afoot.
The team has taught fans many items over the last week and a half and appears to be trending in a winning direction.
Along the way, folks learned these specific things, listed in ascending order of importance (No. 1 = most important Vikings item gleaned).
Week 2 Training Camp Takeaways for the Vikings
Clues dribbled out of training camp this week, some rather impactful.
5. Two New Players Entered the Chat
Before this week, Minnesota had signed no new players in about seven weeks, keeping a lid on the roster for most of June and July.
But general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah added two newcomers with training camp in full swing: safety Gervarrius Owens and offensive tackle Matt Nelson. Both will vie for 53-man roster spots. Owens specializes in special teams, while Nelson could be OT depth behind Christian Darrisaw, Brian O’Neill, and Justin Skule.
Neither transaction moved the needle too much, but they enhanced summer roster depth.
4. Jeff Okudah Trends to Start
Heading into training camp, folks weren’t too sure about the cornerback pecking order. Byron Murphy Jr. was essentially guaranteed to headline the CB room, which has happened, but after him, a broad mystery ensued.
Isaiah Rodgers has stood off the page as a probable starter. And somewhat surprisingly, Jeff Okudah, the former third overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, has consistently run with first-teamers. About four weeks remain before an end-of-summer depth chart, but Okudah is in the driver’s seat to play signigncat snaps in Brian Flores’ 2025 defense.
In the spring, fans wondered if Okudah or Mekhi Blackmon would grab the CB3 job. Advantage Okudah.
3. Sam Howell Isn’t Cutting It Yet
Anytime one scans the internet for Vikings training camp highlights — there’s Sam Howell doing something goofy.
Howell has furnished a rocky first half of training camp, needing to reverse the narrative before Vikings-themed media goes full tilt into talking about a free agent like Carson Wentz or a trade opportunity for Trey Lance, who looked great for the Los Angeles Chargers during the Hall of Fame Game.
The 25-year-old has simply thrown too many picks in Eagan, even if he’s typically known for a confident swagger.
A to Z Sports‘ Tyler Forness wrote about Howell this week, “Initially, he seemed like a really good fit for the backup quarterback job. He has 18 games of starting experience, an arm that’s plenty capable of making all the throws necessary to be successful in the National Football League. Howell also has the legs to eat up yards on the ground, which is a great trait to have in this day and age.”
“Unfortunately, his biggest flaw has been circulating throughout training camp: his slow processing ability. Howell took a ridiculous 65 sacks in 2023 when he started 17 games, mainly due to him being slow in deciphering what the defense was doing.”
The “good” news? Howell will have oodles of preseason snaps to right the ship.
Forness added, “That has been happening in training camp practices, including an interception to end practice on Wednesday to Theo Jackson. It’s far from an ideal spot for the Vikings to be in. The last time they had Super Bowl aspirations with a backup quarterback who was subpar was in 2016, and Teddy Bridgewater’s knee injury forced the Vikings to end up trading a first and fourth-round pick to get Sam Bradford.”
“The question remains whether or not Howell can somehow improve on that element of his game. Considering he’s in a new offense, it’s possible, but it’s a major concern.”
2. Christian Darrisaw Nearing Full Strength
Darrisaw practiced with first-teamers this week, a significant development because no one was too sure in June or so if Darrisaw would be ready for Week 1.
The Week 1 verdict isn’t set in stone yet, but if Darrisaw is in the mix at the end of July, he should be ready on September 8th for Week 1 at the Chicago Bears.
When the summer started, the safe bet was to assume that Darrisaw would likely return in late September; now the safe bet is a Week 1 debut.
1. The Defense Is Utterly Elite
More often than not at NFL training camps, the defense seizes the upper hand before the offense can catch up. That is occurring at Vikings training camp — and then some.
Brian Flores‘ defense looks like Frankenstein, constructed by a mastermind to wreak havoc on, well, everybody. Most fans assumed the defense would be prolific again — it ranked second in the league last per all accepted efficiency metrics — but the unit is still blowing onlookers out of the water.
Minnesota’s defense is nasty and might start to draw parallels to the 2017 Mike Zimmer defense in terms of ferociousness.
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