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After the conservative, underperforming Mike Zimmer era, the Minnesota Vikings are going in a new direction under first-time head coach Kevin O’Connell. The new head man knows who his stars are, but before Week 1, he needs to decide on some crucial players around the edges. These decisions could make the difference between making and not making the organization’s first playoff appearance since 2019. As Minnesota Vikings training camp gets underway, here are three positional battles to watch closely.

Minnesota Vikings Training Camp Info

Minnesota Vikings Offensive Lineman Chris Reed (No. 62) is one of the players involved in a Minnesota Vikings training camp battle this season.
Chris Reed | Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Location: TCO Performance Center, Eagan, Minnesota

Rookies report: Sunday, July 24, 2022

Veterans report: Tuesday, July 26, 2022

First game: vs. Green Bay Packers, Sunday, September 11, 4:25 p.m. EST

Battle No. 1: RG — Jesse Davis vs. Chris Reed vs. Wyatt Davis vs. Ed Ingram

The 2022 Vikes will only go as far as quarterback Kirk Cousins can take them. And Cousins will only be as good as his protection up front. Because of this, the right guard battle is the most important competition in Minnesota Vikings training camp this year. 

Oli Udoh, who finished the 2021 season at RG, was one of the lowest-rated offensive linemen in the NFL last season, per PFF. In 2022, the team signed Jesse Davis from the Miami Dolphins and Chris Reed from the Indianapolis Colts, drafted Ed Ingram from LSU, and will give 2021 third-round pick Wyatt Davis a shot, too. 

This competition is wide open right now. 

Jesse Davis and Reed have the most experience, although Jesse’s mostly played tackle the last three seasons. Wyatt Davis and Ingram both have a good deal of potential, but neither has proven their NFL bona fides yet. 

Jesse Davis is the favorite heading into the camp by the slightest of margins. However, it’s really a four-way coin flip (if that’s a real thing). Keep an eye on the other Davis, though, as Wyatt could make a leap under the new, offensive-minded coaching staff. 

Battle No. 2: CB1-3 — Patrick Peterson vs. Cameron Dantzler vs. Andrew Booth Jr. vs. Chandon Sullivan

The Minnesota Vikings have had a nightmare at cornerback the last few seasons. Heading into camp this season, it looks like the franchise finally has three legit cover men to hold down the position. 

Now the question is, who starts where? 

Patrick Peterson is 32 but can still play. The eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro can’t hang with the fastest of the fast anymore, but he can still get it done when healthy. Cameron Dantzler, a 2020 third-round pick, has lots of potential and should win the CB1 job outright in 2022. 

Finally, there’s Clemson rookie Andrew Booth Jr. (No. 42 overall). He was a steal where the Vikings got him and should fit nicely into the slot corner position. 

If any of these players falter during the Minnesota Vikings training camp battle, veteran free-agent signing Chandon Sullivan from Green Bay could easily step in and take one of those top three spots. 

Battle No. 3: QB2 ­— Kellen Mond vs. Sean Mannion

Kevin O’Connell is firmly committed to Kirk Cousins for at least the 2022 NFL season. In fact, the Vikings hired him — at least partly — because of his prior relationship with Cousins from their time together in Washington. 

Cousins is an Iron Man. He’s missed just one game (Week 17 last year) since 2015. That said, all it takes in the NFL is one hit to change a season, so the backup QB is always a crucial position. 

Sean Mannion is basically Cousins’ personal assistant, so he can do that from the No. 2 or the No. 3 spot. If 2021 third-round pick Kellen Mond is a true prospect, he should be able to beat Mannion out as the primary backup. 

Former head coach Mike Zimmer wasn’t a fan of Mond. Look for him to get a fairer shake under O’Connell in this year’s Minnesota Vikings training camp battle and become Cousin’s backup. 

All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference

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Tim Crean

Tim Crean started writing about sports in 2016 and joined Sportscasting in 2021. He excels with his versatile coverage of the NFL and soccer landscape, as well as his expertise breaking down sports media, which stems from his many years downloading podcasts before they were even cool and countless hours spent listening to Mike & The Mad Dog and The Dan Patrick Show, among other programs.

As a longtime self-professed sports junkie who even played DII lacrosse at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, Tim loves reading about all the latest sports news every day and considers it a dream to write about sports professionally. He’s a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan from Western New York who mistakenly thought, back in the early ’90s, that his team would be in the Super Bowl every year. He started following European soccer — with a Manchester City focus — in the early 2000s after spending far too much time playing FIFA.

When he’s not enjoying a round of golf or coaching youth soccer and flag football, Tim likes reading the work of Bill Simmons, Tony Kornheiser, Chuck Klosterman, and Tom Wolfe.