3 biggest position battles for Vikings heading into training camp

In a few weeks, the Kevin O’Connell era will take shape underneath the Eagan sun at the Minnesota Vikings’ training camp.

That’s where the first-year head coach has the arduous task of whittling down the roster to 53 players, along with making key personnel decisions with the depth chart.

There are a slew of training camp battles awaiting the Vikings when they return to the practice field, and make no mistake, not all of them are set in stone.

One example of that is team commentator Paul Allen predicting running back/return man Kene Nwangwu could potentially push Alexander Mattison for lead backup duties behind Dalvin Cook.

So there might certainly be some surprises in store when the smoke settles. But as of right now, heading into camp, here are the three biggest position battles for the team.

Right guard

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What will the future hold for arguably the biggest trouble spot for the Vikings?

The team signed veterans Chris Reed and Jesse Davis in the offseason for right guard depth after Oli Udoh struggled last season. They also went out and spent a second-round draft pick on rookie Ed Ingram as a high-ceiling option to hopefully fortify the position.

Of course, that doesn’t mean he’ll take over the reins right out of the gates, as the Vikings could look at one of their veteran players to take over the role early on. It’ll be interesting to see how far along he is in comparison to Reed and Davis when the pads come on.

There’s still a long-shot hope that Wyatt Davis can somehow get into the mix as well, but it’s beginning to look like the ship has sailed on the second-year offensive lineman, who was selected No. 86 overall in the 2021 NFL draft by former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman.

Cornerback

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With rookie safety Lewis Cine taking a significant number of snaps with the first-team unit in the spring practices, there’s been this growing assumption that the same will be the case when rookie cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. returns to the practice field at 100 percent.

But Cameron Dantzler might have something to say about that.

The veteran corner has continued to improve and mature to the point where he could be one of the long-term fixtures for the Vikings in the defensive backfield. Yes, Booth is a smart player with a lot of talent, but it doesn’t mean he’s going to land a starting job right off the bat.

He was limited throughout the spring practices because he’s been on the mend from a hernia sports surgery he had back in March. The plan has always been for him to be ready to go by training camp.

But he’ll clearly have some catching up to do, along with competing with a more experienced player in Dantzler. Patrick Peterson is already locked in at the other cornerback spot, and Chandon Sullivan is expected to lead the slot corner role.

So the Booth and Dantzler battle is definitely the one to keep an eye on in future practices.

Backup quarterback

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Kellen Mond has been one of the more intriguing players often highlighted through the early practices. There has been talk of him playing with more confidence within O’Connell’s offense.

Back in May, Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips referred to him as “very sharp” and having his “eyes in the right place” on the field.

He started off the spring practices strong, and then he ended things at minicamp by throwing an interception to Parry Nickerson.

The Vikings already know what they have in Sean Mannion as a backup quarterback.

His ceiling on the football field has already been established. However, the same isn’t necessarily the case for Mond, who has some intangibles that makes him a worthy project for O’Connell and company.

But will he be good enough when the pads come on to be promoted from a third option to Kirk Cousins’ direct backup at quarterback? That will easily be one of the more fascinating questions heading into late July.

Story originally appeared on Vikings Wire