Vikings Training Camp Notes: J.J. McCarthy steals the show while Brian Flores’ defense has major question

The Vikings looked great in their final joint practice

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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The Minnesota Vikings hosted the New England Patriots for the second day of joint practices at TCO Performance Center on Thursday.

The first day of practice was very competitive and even keeled. The two teams didn’t get into it as tempers were calm throughout the day.

How did things go on day two of practice? Let’s break it down.

J.J. McCarthy has banner day

Make no mistake about it, J.J. McCarthy had an excellent day at quarterback today.

There were some warts on Wednesday, but he was mostly good. Thursday was a different story, as he was on fire all day. He threw a touchdown at the end of practice in the situational drill, when they were down 27-21 with one timeout. At one point, he had 12 consecutive completions during practice, and he especially had a great connection with Jordan Addison.

It’s by far his best day of camp so far, and he did so with some national reporters in attendance.

Jeff Okudah could be a liability

A lot of excitement and discussion has come from the Vikings regarding cornerback Jeff Okudah. The coaching staff has spoken highly of him, especially his work ethic. From a profile standpoint, he looks the part of a good cornerback. That hasn’t manifested in his career.

The first session of joint practices focused on 1-on-1s. They did one receiver first, then dips, and finished with 7-on-7. Okudah struggled massively when it came to covering. He was always a step behind where he should be at the stem and allowed the receiver to create instant separation. That’s a problem for the Vikings, even with his much-improved athleticism from Stephon Gilmore and Shaquill Griffin.

Donovan Jackson is violent

Thursday’s practice saw Donovan Jackson give us the biggest highlight of the day. He ran 40+ yards down the field and delivered a couple of pancake blocks in the process.

During team drills, Jackson was showing his sheer power, throwing guys around. He had some really solid reps against Christian Barmore after stonewalling Milton Williams a few times on Wednesday. It’s a positive sign when it comes to Jackson, whose game has been up and down.

Wide receiver depth isn’t a concern

The Vikings have two of the best wide receivers in the NFL in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Both players aren’t just a great duo; they are versatile and explosive in their own right. You can ask them to do anything, and they will thrive in doing so.

The biggest question marks have come from the depth behind them. Honestly, they are looking better as training camp goes on. Lucky Jackson did have a drop, but created good separation and caught a couple of touchdowns. Thayer Thomas is kind of a boring watch, but in a good way. He looks like an NFL-caliber slot receiver. Jeshaun Jones is also getting open and caught a couple of deep passes. Even Tim Jones has rebounded and is making plays.

They aren’t elite players by any estimation, but relatively solid throughout the depth chart. They should be more than capable of surviving without Addison.

Jalen Redmond is a dude

I spoke with some Patriots reporters after Wednesday’s practice, and the first question I was asked: “Who’s 61 (Redmond)? He’s a dude.” If you watched last year’s training camp, Redmond arguably had the best training camp on the Vikings, and he continues to look like a dude.

During red zone drills, Redmond blew up a run play during red zone drills for a TFL. He’s all over the backfield during these practices, and it’s apparent that he’s ready to take another step this season.

Brian Flores’ defense could have big weakness

It’s been an up-and-down two days of practice for Brian Flores’ defense. It has had some stretches of brilliance, but also some struggles. One route has caught my eye that could be a problem down the line: the wheel route.

Whether it was TreVeyon Henderson in the two-minute drill on Wednesday or the tight ends who got them on Thursday, the defense looked vulnerable to that route, which could be a problem in the short and long term.

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