Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw was sitting in a tub of ice after a recent practice when a reporter walked by and commented on the “Welcome to the NFL” education/domination he has been administering daily to edge rusher and rookie first-round draft pick Dallas Turner.
“Ah, man, he’ll be all right,” Darrisaw said as he looked up and smiled. “He’s learning. He’s got the talent. Anything I can do to help.”
Not long after signing his big contract extension, Darrisaw has been helping both his quarterback and the rookie phenom whose success or failure in the NFL will be judged on how well he harasses NFL quarterbacks.
“As I talked about with CD in the hours after CD’s extension, it’s like, ‘Hey man, not only can you elevate our entire offensive group, how cool is it going to be as you watch Dallas Turner one-on-one against you in practice grow to be a guy who pushes you to be better?’ ” said coach Kevin O’Connell.
Darrisaw has been patiently offering tips outside the lines that will help Turner learn the NFL game.
“You see CD pull him aside sometimes before practice, and he’s showing him, ‘Hey, you shot your hand too quick,’ ‘you probably started that move too far away from me,’ ‘I never really felt speed on the initial rush before you got into [your move],’ ” O’Connell said. “Those [tips] are coming from one of the best left tackles in football, and then DT gets a rep, he gets to feel it and obviously he gets coached up … and then right about that time his versatility kicks in and he switches spots and is doing different things.”

Cornerback coming
With their secondary affected by injuries early in training camp, the Vikings have wasted little time adding defensive backs to their roster. The fourth DB they’re planning to add is the one with the most NFL starting experience of the group.
The Vikings are expected to sign cornerback Fabian Moreau, who started 11 games for the Broncos last season and has started in 56 for four different teams across seven NFL seasons. The 30-year-old Moreau was a third-round pick by Washington in 2017 and has played for the Falcons, Giants and Broncos the past three years after his rookie deal in Washington expired.