Viktor
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- Mar 19, 2019
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EAGAN, Minn. — We've officially reached September, which means the countdown is on to the Week 1 Border Battle between the Vikings and Packers.
Minnesota has been hard at work in recent weeks at Verizon Vikings Training Camp, as players looked to solidify starting roles and carve out playing time for themselves.
And while they are still practicing this week, those sessions are now closed to the media at the start of team drills.
So let's take a look at where four key positions are at after being able to watch 13 full practices, including one at U.S. Bank Stadium.
We'll start with Minnesota's cornerbacks for the first of four Camp Rewinds.
Pre-camp chatter
The Vikings endured plenty of roster turnover at cornerback, as the veteran trio of Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander all departed in the offseason.
Minnesota added three cornerbacks in the 2020 NFL Draft — including first-rounder Jeff Gladney and Cameron Dantzler in the third round — to pair with players such as Mike Hughes, Holton Hill and Kris Boyd, who were roster holdovers from a season ago.
As the virtual offseason ended and training camp began, there was no question about the talent of that group.
But there was plenty of chatter about their inexperience. Hughes (20 games and five starts) and Hill (24 games and four starts) offered the entirety of starting NFL experience on the roster. Boyd played in all 16 games as a rookie, but his primary role was on special teams and not in the secondary.
Gladney and Dantzler offered plenty of upside, but many wondered how quickly they could get accustomed to the speed of the NFL, especially with a lack of on-field work in the spring.