Vikings training camp notebook, day 7: Depth players emerge to make plays

USA Today

7 days ago

The Vikings roster has reported to Eden Prairie, and as a result, they have started their journey into the 2025 season. It starts at home in Minnesota, but they hope it ends on the road in Santa Clara, where they have a chance to raise the Lombardi Trophy for the first time.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O'Connell have new extensions, as do their assistants and coordinators. J.J. McCarthy is finally healthy and ready to take over the controls of a franchise that trusted him enough to stick with him when so many other options presented themselves. All in all, the coaching staff remains essentially unchanged, while the roster sees some position groups infused with youth and talent to solidify them.
The sixth day of training camp has wrapped up, with veterans sitting out and allowing depth players on both sides of the ball to showcase their versatility and talents.
2024 UDFA CB making plays
For the Vikings' secondary, Byron Murohy Jr. was the consistent playmaker of the group. They needed more from the group in 2024, but they couldn't find it. Perhaps they had the talent, but it wasn't ready. Brian Flores showed he was hesitant to give much responsibility to first-round pick Dallas Turner, and the same was done to UDFA Dwight McGlothern.
Much like Turner in 2025, McGlothern is forcing the hand of Flores and is taking matters into his own hands and putting good days together at camp. On Monday and Tuesday, the former Razorback was able to pick off a pass from Sam Howell and tip another that led to it being intercepted. He is constantly finding the ball, and he is proving to be one of the players that Flores can rely on in the new year.
Blake Brandel continues to be versatile
Whenever a team brings in a plethora of new faces at a position, it is almost expected for the old ones to be replaced. In the case of Blake Brandel, he underperformed in 2024, but his versatility may be what keeps him around.
In 2024, Brandel played left guard primarily for the Vikings. So far in camp, he has played right guard and now right tackle after Tuesday's practice. Not many offensive linemen offer that, and while the team added swing tackle Justin Skule in free agency, having someone on the interior who can do that would not be a bad thing to have.
Is Will Reichard going to be an issue?
Last season, Will Reichard became a fan favorite quickly when he was able to become a consistent kicking presence for a team that has always struggled to find one. However, after a quad injury sidelined him for a time during the season, he was never as consistent, and the thought was that he would come back in 2025 and be his old self.
On Tuesday, Reichard went 5 for 7 in the team's practice, with both misses coming in situational drills. One was reportedly off the uprights from beyond 50 yards, and the other, under 50 yards, was missed as well. It is just training camp, but it is not an encouraging sign to see these things in a non-game setting.