The Minnesota Vikings are in their fifth day of practice and first practice in full pads.
The day started off with Danielle Hunter hitting the practice field for the first time this summer and there were multiple highlights from a good day of practice.
Here are the 10 biggest takeaways from Monday’s practice.
Nick Mullens misses practice
The Vikings backup quarterback Nick Mullens missed practice for a family issue. That left Kirk Cousins and Jaren Hall to take all the practice reps.
Nick Mullens is not at #Vikings practice today because of a family matter, so it’s just Kirk Cousins and Jaren Hall at quarterback for the first day of padded practices.
— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) July 31, 2023
DeWayne McBride shows off his route running
Coming out of UAB, there were a lot of questions about what kind of receiver DeWayne McBride could be. He only caught five passes on nine targets which is one of the main reasons he fell to the seventh round. Early returns are good with McBride as he displays his route-running ability here.
Rookie RB DeWayne McBride 👀 pic.twitter.com/i3UGwAMEcq
— vikesinsider (@vikesinsider) July 31, 2023
Justin Jefferson makes it look easy
Last year’s offensive player of the year Justin Jefferson continues to make plays in practice and does so in an effortless fashion.
Justin Jefferson content: pic.twitter.com/GQ5SquC2l2
— vikesinsider (@vikesinsider) July 31, 2023
Byron Murphy Jr. gets beaten by Justin Jefferson
Best on best is one of the best parts of training camp. Early on Jefferson has been getting the best of Byron Murphy Jr. and he did so on this comeback route by snapping it off after the break and working back to the football.
Justin Jefferson vs. Byron Murphy Jr. pic.twitter.com/oIX1XsxeKf
— vikesinsider (@vikesinsider) July 31, 2023
Jordan Addison and Mekhi Blackmon went to war
Jordan Addison and Mekhi Blackmon went back and forth with each other winning reps. This one, Addison got the better of Blackmon and used his quickness to get past him.
#Vikings rookie WR Jordan Addison is SHIFTY 🔥 pic.twitter.com/vgUROHfp3V
— vikesinsider (@vikesinsider) July 31, 2023
Ty Chandler shows good vision
The Minnesota Vikings have a running back room in flux for the first time in over a decade. Ty Chandler is hoping to earn significant playing time and displaying vision like this is a great way to do so.
Ty Chandler content: pic.twitter.com/9ag5HSk6Ys
— vikesinsider (@vikesinsider) July 31, 2023
Byron Murphy Jr. gets aggressive toward the ball
Murphy got beaten by Jefferson earlier, but his aggressiveness in coverage will serve him well. Here, he attacks the football and knocks it down at the goal line, something the Vikings didn’t see much of last year.
New #Vikings CB Byron Murphy Jr. with a nice pass breakup on the goal line: pic.twitter.com/jNvXWvBPnr
— vikesinsider (@vikesinsider) July 31, 2023
Cousins to Addison
We have seen a lot of really good plays from Addison thus far during training camp and this in the corner of the endzone was a great sign.
QB Kirk Cousins connects with rookie WR Jordan Addison in the back corner of the endzone: pic.twitter.com/fuPfFgUfq6
— vikesinsider (@vikesinsider) July 31, 2023
Mekhi Blackmon working with the ones
Blackmon was starting to work in with the ones during minicamp and he started doing so again on Monday during practice.
Joejuan Williams has been the Vikings’ No. 3 CB with Byron Murphy Jr. and Akayleb Evans up to this point in camp, but in today’s red zone period, it was rookie Mekhi Blackmon with the 1s and Williams with the 2s.
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) July 31, 2023
Danielle Hunter wants to remain a Viking
Hunter’s message to the press was simple.
“I want to be a Viking forever.”
