Minnesota Vikings: 5 things to watch for during training camp

1. Development in the secondary

Depending on how the secondary shakes out, the Vikings could be a good defense, or a dominant defense. The Vikings have talent on every level of the defense, with an established starter at almost every position.

While the secondary is by no means a weakness, there are certainly questions circling around it. Specifically, the development of last year’s first-round pick Trae Waynes and young safeties Anthony Harris and Antone Exum is on everyone’s mind.

With a year of working with noted DB-guru Mike Zimmer, Waynes should have improved significantly, hopefully enough to earn a starting role. Incumbent starter Terence Newman played well last year, but at almost 38 years old he may not be able to replicate that success.

It will be important for Waynes to show improvement at mirroring receivers in off coverage and being less handsy, as he struggled in both of those areas last year. Waynes has the talent to succeed, but he needs to put everything together to earn a spot on the defense.

As for Anthony Harris and Antone Exum, it will be interesting to see if one of them will step up and seize the strong safety role from Andrew Sendejo. The safety spot opposite Harrison Smith was by far the biggest weakness of the defense, so one of the young players stepping up could be a huge benefit for the team.

The secondary is filled with young talent, and watching them develop will be one of the most interesting aspects of camp.

Next: 5 surprise players who could make roster

These things are only the beginning. No matter where you look during training camp there will be an interesting player or story to follow. Here at The Viking Age, we will do our best to bring you all the interesting news coming out of Mankato.