5 things to watch for during the Vikings’ 2019 OTAs

(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
(Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
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(Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) Shamar Stephen
(Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) Shamar Stephen

Who will flash in the battle for the 3-technique spot?

I’ll say this again. Nobody is going to win a job based on their performance during the first wave of the Vikings’ OTAs. But it’s still a chance for some incumbent players to make a great first impression.

Two of the players that will have a major opportunity are defensive tackles Jaleel Johnson and Jalyn Holmes.

Johnson and Holmes were both former mid-round selections by Minnesota, but neither has made a major contribution. While Johnson could make a climb up to a secondary role, Holmes could make an impact after taking a redshirt year and bulking up to try to make the transition from a tweener edge to a defensive tackle.

The Vikings will also have free agent acquisition Shamar Stephen, preseason star Ifeadi Odenigbo, and sixth-round pick Armon Watts all getting their first shot at making an impression to see who will line up next to Linval Joseph during the season.

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