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5 Bold Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Predictions, Including Lewis Cine’s Fate
By Andrew Buller-Russ,
14 hours ago
Minnesota Vikings training camp is finally in full swing. J.J. McCarthy is impressing . Meanwhile, Akayleb Evans is not . But it’s way too early to make final calls on how each player will perform throughout camp or during preseason. Yet, that doesn’t mean we can’t make a few bold predictions anyway.
Lewis Cine. Where do we begin? Most Minnesota Vikings fans have probably already given up on Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s first draft pick. But the 32nd overall selection of the 2022 NFL Draft is still just 24 years old. That’s far too early to throw the towel in on one of the best players from a championship-level Georgia Bulldogs defense.
While skeptics are right to have their doubts about a player who hasn’t done anything at the pro level, it’s quite possible he’s still mentally trying to overcome an injury some athletes may never come back from. Cine is facing very stiff competition among a deep group of Vikings safeties. However, he does benefit from the fact that defensive coordinator Brian Flores loves to use three safeties at a given time, sometimes more.
With all the losses the Vikings have suffered to their cornerback group, Cine now has more opportunities. For the third-year pro, it’s now or never. The ball is in his court.
Losing two players who were expected to contribute in 2024 in Khyree Jackson and Mekhi Blackmon places the Vikings in a tough spot. However, they emerged from the draft with a wealth of depth. That depth is now being tested, and then some.
Previously, a player like Andrew Booth Jr may have been a prime trade candidate. The Vikings could have likely swapped the former second-round pick for another high-upside player at another position, or a veteran more capable of contributing right away.
But not anymore. Now Booth is very much back in the mix to emerge as anywhere from a CB2-CB4. Yet, even doing that won’t be easy. He’ll have to show he’s better than a former Pro Bowler in Shaq Griffin while holding off Akayleb Evans, who started 15 games last season.
Yet, there’s a reason why the former Clemson product was once viewed as a fringe first-round prospect. If the 23-year-old can put it all together in his third season, the Vikings’ defensive back group will see a big boost, and we know he’s confident in his abilities .
One of the biggest training camp battles to watch is seeing who will emerge as the third receiver option behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. While T.J. Hockenson will eventually become a top target once he returns to health, Vikings QBs will have to get used to relying on another playmaker until then. That man might just become third-year pro Jalen Nailor.
The 2022 sixth-round pick is one of the fastest receivers on the team. Some say he might even be the fastest overall player. His biggest issue has been staying healthy, but he even saw 15 games of playing time as a rookie. So if he’s able to stay healthy, we wouldn’t rule Nailor out for a sizable role.
The Vikings only have one established starter along their defensive line. Harrison Phillips isn’t losing his starting role, but Jonathan Bullard and Jerry Tillery’s jobs are not safe. There’s a group of hungry trench warriors eyeing playing time, and 2020 fourth-round pick James Lynch is one of them.
He’s displayed a strong motor in his past opportunities in Minnesota, but a torn ACL wiped out his entire 2023 season. Now back on track, the 25-year-old is as motivated as ever to prove he not only belongs in the NFL but is one of the best defensive linemen on the team. We’ll see if he can pull it off.
Don’t tell the Minnesota Vikings coaching staff, but we know what they’re doing by hyping up Sam Darnold and lowering expectations for their new 21-year-old quarterback. Of course they don’t want their first-round QB to get too big of a head before he’s even made his official debut.
It’s not that Darnold isn’t fully capable of holding down a starting role. He was the No. 3 overall pick for a reason, and the 27-year-old has only sharpened his craft since joining the league in 2018. However, there’s also a reason he’s been bouncing around the NFL ever since.
All McCarthy needs to do to emerge from camp as the Vikings’ starting QB is prove that he’s more consistent than Darnold, while showing he’s capable of winning over the locker room. Our money’s on McCarthy’s leadership shining through over the next few weeks, making it so the coaching staff has no choice but to name him the starter for Week 1.
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