Minnesota Vikings training camp notes: J.J. McCarthy vs. Sam Darnold, cornerback battle & more

The Minnesota Vikings have fully completed a week's worth of training camp practice, including their first two with pads. Looking at where things sit with the Vikings is a complicated question with varying amounts of answers.

The questions are boundless for the Vikings. From a quarterback competition to a turnstile at cornerback, there are still numerous answers the Vikings need to find before they kick off against the New York Giants on September 8th.

I have spent the last two days at training camp practice dissecting the Vikings on the field. These are my biggest takeaways from Wednesday's practice.

Minnesota Vikings 7-31 training camp practice takeaways

J.J. McCarthy vs. Sam Darnold isn't a competition...yet

Head coach Kevin O'Connell has spoken to the media multiple times about wanting a competition between both McCarthy and Darnold. Right now, it's not a competition.

There is a lot of buzz surrounding McCarthy right now and for good reason. He is making impressive throws throughout practice, giving fans a glimpse into the future.

Even with the wow throws from McCarthy that have gotten the fanbase excited, he has yet to take a single first-team rep. It can't be a competition without that.

Darnold hasn't exactly run away from McCarthy either, but it's not a big deal either. You can tell that Darnold is still getting his bearings with both the offense and his teammates. Darnold was better on Wednesday than Tuesday but there were still misses. Two of the misses looked to be from a lack of chemistry, which is completely fine for a new quarterback.

McCarthy still has an outside chance to win the job, but he needs to get reps with the first-team offense before we can really consider it a competition.

Jay Ward continues to get looks at cornerback

On Monday, I spoke on Purple Daily on Draft that the Vikings should try out Ward at cornerback due to the lack of depth. Well, they did so just three hours later during Monday's practice.

Results for Ward have been mixed. He has gotten beaten a few times but held his own. Athleticism isn't an issue for Ward, has he showed the ability to flip his hips quickly and carry receivers down the field. Giving Ward more reps at outside cornerback (he had 108 on the outside during his senior year) could net in a win for the Vikings' defense and at the very least be a body during the preseason.

Jeshaun Jones impresses

The Vikings made a surprising move by giving Jones $225k guaranteed as a UDFA. He didn't make waves during the pre-draft process but flashed during his time at the University of Maryland. His first week of training camp has shown some flashes.

Is it enough for Jones to make the team? We are a little too far away from knowing that. However, he's made some impressive plays in 7-on-7 drills by getting open and making tough catches in traffic. The investment the Vikings made in Jones could end up helping him make the roster, but he will need to have a really good next four weeks.

Brian Asamoah II flying around the field

Wednesday was a really good day for Asamoah. The Vikings selected him to be an explosive linebacker to make plays in the gap. After showing flashes during his rookie season, year two was not very good for multiple reasons.

Asamoah isn't going to be a starter in 2024, but he could end up being a quality rotational player, especially if he plays like he did on Wednesday. Asamoah shot through the gap on a running play and got a TFL and was flying around the field. He also hit Johnny Mundt so hard it nearly started a fight.

Tight end competition is heating up

With T.J. Hockenson set to miss the first few games of the season at minimum, tight end is going to be really important over those games. The competition for the starting spot opposite of Josh Oliver in 12 personnel is a fierce one with three likely candidates.

• Mundt had a tremendous day on Wednesday, catching everything that came his way. He is the clubhouse leader to be the starting tight end week one.
• Robert Tonyan had a really good summer with the Vikings but hasn't shown a lot so far during training camp. It didn't help on Wednesday when he was carted off with what was described as back spasms.
• Nick Muse is entering his third season and has shown significant growth. Muse is moving with more intent and creating separation in short spaces better than in his first two seasons.

Fabian Moreau makes good first impression

When a player gets off the plane, you don't expect him to play really well. That is exactly what Moreau did after the Vikings signed him early Wednesday morning. He was thrown in with the first team and acquitted himself well in all phases. Yes, he wasn't perfect and got beat once, but Moreau attacked the ball in the air and consistently played well.

Will Moreau keep this up? Hard to say, but the veteran going into his eighth year played just like it.

Theo Jackson looks like a starter

Can the Vikings start four safeties because Jackson looks like he should be a starter. He has flown all around practice, including two near interceptions on Wednesday. The Vikings aren't going to start him with Harrison Smith, Camryn Bynum and Josh Metellus in the starting lineup, but it's becoming clear that Jackson is a massive luxury for the Vikings.