The Minnesota Vikings have finished two days worth of joint practices with the Baltimore Ravens. Over the two days of practice, we got to see Brian Flores’ defense take on Lamar Jackson, and Kyler Murray face a defense other than the Vikings’.

Being that there were joint practices, most of the top players will miss the preseason game on Saturday. What stood out on Thursday? I was live at TCO Performance Center and this is what I saw.

Dallas Turner continues to shine

Yesterday’s recap of joint practices had me gushing over Dallas Turner’s afternoon. He was explosive in a multitude of ways and it continued on Thursday.

Turner’s developed in a nice way across the board. His body composition is much-improved and deploys a very diverse skill set. He got multiple pressures and a couple of sacks on the day, while setting a strong edge against Ronnie Stanley. He’s primed for an explosive season.

Both quarterbacks showed improvement

After a rough first day of practice, both Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy showed some improvement on the day. They were rough on the first day, including multiple interceptions from both players.

Things looked a lot better from both quarterbacks. Murray had some nice strikes down the field to Justin Jefferson, and hit Jauan Jennings on a go ball in the honey hole of Cover-2. He led the Vikings down the field on a two-minute drill down two with 1:15 left, and Will Reichard hit a 47-yard field goal.

McCarthy also led the team down the field on a two-minute drill, where they scored a touchdown, as Demond Claiborne had a draw play for about 25 yards to seal the win. McCarthy had some impressive throws on the day, including a nice touchdown to Myles Price in individual drills.

Eric Wilson’s wild day

The Vikings might have their best linebacker room since peak Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks. It’s an often overlooked position, but it’s also one that Brian Flores’ defense thrives with good players.

When the Vikings extended Eric Wilson, it felt a little over reactionary . He broke out in year nine, but it was objectively a great season. He’s proving them right so far. Wilson was everywhere on Thursday, getting pressure in multiple ways as blitzer, both as a pass rusher and run defender.

Charles Demmings has one concerning area

Cornerback Charles Demmings has been the story of training camp. The fifth-round pick has stacked multiple good days and proven to be a good player overall. Within each practice, he’s done a lot of great things, but there is a big concern developing.

In college, you can get away with a lot of physicality, but it’s a lot harder to in the NFL. Demmings has been overly physical during practice, drawing a lot of flags for his efforts. This is something the Vikings dealt with regarding Xavier Rhodes when he got drafted, and they found a way to fix it. Bringing out the boxing gloves might be the smart play for his development.

Ravens rookie WR Ja’Kobi Lane a huge standout

There were two teams on the field this week, and the Ravens had some interesting performances. The biggest standout might be rookie wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane.

He was selected in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft and gave the room some desperately needed size. Lane has created enough separation with nuanced route running and showed veteran savvy using his length as well. He really stood out by doing it against everyone he faced. The Ravens might have a guy in Lane.

Other Notes

• UDFA CB Da’Veawn Armstead is getting more opportunities to work with the second team. He took advantage of it with a PBU in 7-on-7 drills and looked good getting consistent work with the second team.
• Keep an eye out this season for orbit motion. McCarthy hit wide receiver Dillon Bell on a swing pass off orbit motion in team drills for a nice gain. Assistant head coach Frank Smith is going to have a major influence on offense, and that could end up being a staple.
• Safety Theo Jackson went down contesting a deep ball in team drills. He walked off with trainers and seemed to be okay.
• Safety Jacob Thomas continued getting work with the first-team throughout the day, and playing well in the process. He looks like he belongs.
• Safety Jay Ward continues to look good throughout every rep. If Harrison Smith doesn’t return, the safety room is in good hands.