Brian Flores talks Khyree Jackson, Mekhi Blackmon, trying new things on defense

The Vikings' defensive coordinator spoke to the media before Thursday's training camp practice.

Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores speaks to the media before training camp practice on July 25. / Will Ragatz

Prior to the Vikings' second training camp practice on Thursday, defensive coordinator Brian Flores spoke publicly about the tragic death of rookie Khyree Jackson for the first time. It's something that he's clearly crushed by and still working through.

"I watched every snap of him last year at Oregon, so I was really excited about coaching him, getting him here," Flores said. "I think he had a bright, bright future. It's still something that gives me a pit in my stomach, still something that I'm dealing with internally, like this entire organization is, like I know his family and friends are. But I hope they can take a little comfort in knowing he certainly impacted a lot of people in a very positive way. He's gonna be missed and we're gonna honor him with how we go about our business on a daily basis."

Khyree 💜 pic.twitter.com/SwavVSCjrm

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) July 24, 2024

Flores also discussed the bad news from Wednesday, which was second-year cornerback Mekhi Blackmon suffering a torn ACL. It's a brutal blow for both Blackmon and the Vikings, but Flores said he emphasized to the former USC standout that this is just a small setback in what looks like a promising NFL career.

"I was excited about watching him come back in year two more comfortable, more understanding, more knowledge, more experience," Flores said. "I thought we were going to see a different version of Mekhi, a better version of Mekhi. And quite honestly, I think we'll see that moving forward. That's what I told him yesterday. To me, I think ten years from now, this will be a bump in the road over the course of his journey through the NFL. That was my message to him yesterday."

The Vikings are now shorthanded at corner, but Flores said he "likes the guys in that room." They'll need players like Akayleb Evans, Duke Shelley, and others to step up behind veteran starters Byron Murphy Jr. and Shaq Griffin.

Despite some question marks at corner and defensive tackle, expectations remain high for the Vikings' defense in their second year with Flores at the helm. They've got all kinds of playmakers at the safety, inside linebacker, and outside linebacker spots, which should help make up for the more unproven areas. Plus, they've got a mad scientist in Flores leading the way. His unique scheme was on display last season, and it's a safe bet that the always-evolving coordinator will have more wrinkles to unveil in 2024.

"I study a lot of tape," Flores said. "I watch different coordinators, from (Dick) LeBeau to Rex Ryan to Buddy Ryan to Zim (Mike Zimmer), I could go on and on. I'm constantly trying to stay with the times. There are lots of things that are in vogue offensively and defensively, and I try to stay abreast of what's new and what the trends are through the league, whether it's pro or college. In doing that, you see different schematics, you'll say 'that's cool,' you draw it up. I think now is the time to try it. It's training camp, preseason. Why not give it a shot? I'm not afraid to test things out."

Related: 8 free agent cornerbacks Vikings could target after Mekhi Blackmon's injury