7 bold predictions for the Vikings 2022 training camp

Jaylen Twyman will be this year’s Mr. Mankato

One of the time-honored traditions at training camp is the crowning of Mr. Mankato. Ever since Adam Thielen unofficially took home the award in 2014, fans have placed their bets to find the breakout star of camp, and this year, it will be Jaylen Twyman.

Twyman was a sixth-round pick by the Vikings in the 2021 draft. Like many of their selections, he didn’t see the field, but it didn’t have anything to do with the coaching staff. Instead, Twyman was accidentally shot while visiting his aunt in Washington D.C. and missed the entire season recovering from the injury.

Now healed, Twyman can get back to the potential he flashed during the 2019 season. The 23-year-old was an All-ACC selection during his sophomore year, recording 10.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss. Although he opted out of the 2020 season to prepare for the NFL Draft, he had a rough workout and fell to the Vikings in the sixth round.

The odds of Twyman becoming an elite prospect are slim, but he has enough talent to climb the depth chart. Free-agent acquisition Harrison Phillips and incumbent Dalvin Tomlinson have combined for 11.5 sacks during their career and Armon Watts profiles more as a pass-rush specialist.

If Twyman can show out in camp, it’s an opportunity that Jones, Chandler, Jalen Nailor, and other young players may not have. This gives Twyman an edge going into camp and the inside track to becoming Mr. Mankato.