Vikings Training Camp Winners: Offense
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings wrapped up their training camp with a pair of joint practices alongside the San Francisco 49ers. Over these past few weeks, we’ve learned a lot about this team and how they will look during the 2022 regular season. A number of players stood out during the practices, and here are a few of the biggest winners from camp this year.
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G Ed Ingram
Training camp couldn’t have gone much better for the Vikings second-round pick out of LSU. When the Vikings drafted him, the vision was for him to eventually become the starting right guard and hopefully turn around a position that has been a weak point for multiple years. That hope has already become reality as Ingram took full control of the starting spot about a week ago. This looks like one of the best offensive lines the Vikings have had in years.
LT Christian Darrisaw
It was a rather up-and-down rookie year for Christian Darrisaw in 2021. He had injury troubles throughout training camp, and it kept him sidelined for the first half of the regular season. Once he finally got into the starting lineup though, it became clear that there was some potential with him. There’s not just potential anymore after this training camp. Instead, he’s getting comparisons to generational talents at the offensive tackle position.
WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
The Minnesota Vikings have a ridiculous amount of depth at wide receiver, and going into training camp, it looked like there would be a fierce battle behind Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and KJ Osborn for the final spots on the roster. Ihmir Smith-Marsette didn’t have much of a role in the Vikings offense last year, catching just five targets. That said, he has emerged from the pack this summer with terrific work as a pass catcher, and on top of that, he looks like the favorite to be the punt return man in 2022 as well.
QB Kirk Cousins
If there was ever a year where Kirk Cousins got everything he needed to succeed, it looks like 2022 is that year. He has a creative offensive mind as his head coach, a much-improved offensive line, and a litany of talent at wide receiver and running back. Obviously, the new scheme is still a work-in-progress, but once these guys all get it down to a tee, this should be an explosive offensive unit. Kirk Cousins will reap the benefits, so he has to be considered a winner of this training camp.
C Austin Schlottmann
Austin Schlottmann was one of the very first signings of the offseason by Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the Minnesota Vikings this offseason, but he’s largely gone under the radar amidst the other veterans and high-potential prospects along the offensive line. However, now that training camp has wrapped up, he looks like the favorite to be the backup center. Chris Reed’s elbow injury certainly played a role in this, but the former Denver Bronco put together a terrific performance in the Vikings first preseason game. Garrett Bradbury may be the starter right now, but it wouldn’t be that surprising to me if that job eventually became Schlottmann’s.
