Minnesota Vikings training camp: 4 Position battles to watch

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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – DECEMBER 30: Kirk Cousins #8 of the Minnesota Vikings speaks with teammates in the fourth quarter of the game against the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 30, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

The Minnesota Vikings open 2019 training camp on Friday, July 26. Here are four position battles to watch as training camp progresses.

Football is finally back. The Minnesota Vikings will be back on the practice field starting Friday, July 26, as the team kicks off its 59th training camp in team history. A total of 16 practices will be open to the public — starting on the day camp opens — with the first padded practice taking place on Monday, July 29.

The Vikings are coming off a relatively disappointing season in 2018 after finishing with a final record of 8-7-1. To think a team one year removed from the NFC Championship in 2017 would finish with just eight wins and miss the playoffs was shocking. Minnesota will have higher expectations in 2019, with the NFC North crown firmly on the radar.

Minnesota returns the majority of its starters on offense from 2018, headlined by quarterback Kirk Cousins. Protecting Cousins up front along the offensive line will be a bevy of new faces. Thanks to some free agent acquisitions and draft capital investment, the Vikings should have a much improved offensive line this coming season. If one thing was certain this past offseason, the front office had to improve the o-line, and they did just that.

The Vikings also return the majority of their 2018 starters on defense. Minnesota is stacked with young talent, particularly on the defensive line, headlined by defensive end Danielle Hunter. To complement their young core, the Vikings still have veteran leaders like Everson Griffen, Xavier Rhodes and Harrison Smith to lead the defense.

Many of the team’s veterans are safe bets to make the final 53-man roster, though there’s always a few surprise cuts here and there. Minnesota’s younger players are much more likely to be the ones faced with significant camp battles, especially when it comes to the last four or five spots on the roster.

With all of that said, here are four positional group battles to closely monitor as Vikings training camp progresses.

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