When pads go on at Vikings camp, train your eyes on these players

The Vikings are already a week into their 2022 training camp, the 62nd in their history and fifth at their team headquarters in Eagan. After a long NFL-mandated ramp-up period and the first camp event open to fans on Saturday, the Vikings' practices will reach a new threshold when players practice in pads for the first time on Monday.

That padded practice will be one of just 11 during Vikings camp, as new coach Kevin O'Connell tries to walk the line between getting his team ready for its Sept. 11 opener — against its biggest rival, the Packers — and keeping it healthy for a 17-game regular season.

That approach will be just one of the changes fans will see through Aug. 18 during O'Connell's first camp as head coach. After practicing in front of fans Saturday, the Vikings will give players Sunday off before a stretch of seven practices in eight days begins Monday. As the pace of training camp increases with padded practices, here is a look at five story lines to watch over the next several weeks:

The Vikings have been O'Connell's team for nearly six months, since he was hired as the 10th head coach in franchise history on Feb. 16. But training camp is where the 37-year-old will begin to exert greater influence over how the Vikings practice. He said he's worked with Tyler Williams, executive player health and performance director, and Uriah Myrie, head athletic trainer, to build the Vikings' schedule for camp, trying to balance high-intensity work in pads with ample recovery time for players, particularly the Vikings' veteran defenders. On offense, he's already building a rapport with Kirk Cousins based on candid feedback and regular conversation; it will be interesting to see how effectively the offense operates as it learns O'Connell's scheme and practices against a defensive scheme that Cousins said can be challenging for quarterbacks to decipher.

For the first time since the 1980s, the Vikings will line up in a 3-4 defense this season, shifting Danielle Hunter to outside linebacker when they're in their base package. Hunter will likely see plenty of time at defensive end when the Vikings are in nickel, but training camp will show how he'll handle the newest elements of his assignment, like dropping into coverage and playing a different role in the Vikings' run fits. It will also be worth watching how the Vikings use Hunter and Za'Darius Smith to pressure the quarterback; outside linebackers coach Mike Smith has talked about how the Vikings' new scheme will give Hunter more freedom than he's had in the past, and camp could provide some early indicators of how creative the Vikings will be.

The Vikings will have two starters in their defensive backfield — Patrick Peterson and Harrison Smith — that have been named to a combined 14 Pro Bowls. It's possible their other two starters will be rookies, or players that haven't started a full season in the NFL. There's lots of work in front of the Vikings in the secondary, where they'll try to figure out who will start at cornerback opposite Peterson and at safety next to Smith. Chandon Sullivan, a free agent addition from the Packers, figures to play in the slot as part of the Vikings' nickel package; second-round pick Andrew Booth had an impressive few days of practice to start camp, and could push Cameron Dantzler for a bigger role in the defense.

The Vikings' offensive line was perhaps a bigger issue than any other position for the team during Rick Spielman's time as general manager. The team is hopeful the group will be better in 2022, with Christian Darrisaw entering his second season at left tackle, but there's still plenty for the Vikings to sort out between now and the start of the season. Center Garrett Bradbury, whose fifth-year option was declined this spring, will work against nose tackle Harrison Phillips in practices as he tries to show he can be better than he's been in recent seasons. The Vikings will also pick a right guard between veterans Jesse Davis and Chris Reed, with second-round pick Ed Ingram possibly factoring into the competition.

With Justin Jefferson entering his third season and Dalvin Cook beginning his sixth, the Vikings have one of the best skill position groups in the NFL. They could have some new things in store for both players this season; it's possible they'll keep some of those things under wraps during open practices in training camp, but there's little doubt O'Connell will try to maximize his offense by featuring both players. Cook missed four games last season, and has carried the ball at least 249 times each of the past three seasons. The Vikings could keep him fresh by giving a few more carries to Alexander Mattison and Kene Nwangwu, and Cook's most important work of the preseason could come in a pair of joint practices with the 49ers on Aug. 17-18.