Vikings training camp recap, day 1: Darnold and McCarthy observations, Blackmon hurt

A full breakdown of the first day of Vikings training camp in 2024.

The Vikings had their first day of 2024 training camp practice at TCO Performance Center on July 24. / Will Ragatz

Training camp is a grind, but the first day is always a fun one. With players back on the field for the first time in nearly two months, excitement is higher than ever. It's one of those stepping-stone days where it feels like the football season isn't too far away.

The Vikings held the initial practice of their 2024 training camp on Wednesday. On a picturesque 79-degree afternoon at TCO Performance Center, we saw Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy make their camp debuts in Minnesota, we saw the best receiver on the planet do what he does, and we (unfortunately) saw an important young player leave with an injury.

Let's get into the full recap from day 1.

Darnold's up-and-down day

As expected, Darnold is the Vikings' QB1 to open camp. His second rep in 11-on-11 action was a fumbled handoff with Aaron Jones, but it wasn't long before the former No. 3 overall pick settled in and showed off his arm. A few minutes later, Darnold dropped back off of play action and unleashed a deep rainbow that hit Justin Jefferson perfectly in stride for a touchdown of at least 50 yards. Jefferson had roasted Andrew Booth Jr. and gotten several yards of separation.

Later on in practice, Darnold hit Jefferson on another deep ball, this time with A.J. Green III in coverage. One thing that's never been in doubt about Darnold is that he has the arm talent to make just about every throw in the book. "Sam was throwing bombs today," Jefferson said after practice.

Justin Jefferson: “Sam was throwing bombs today” pic.twitter.com/o1FocwDf76

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) July 24, 2024

It wasn't all pretty for Darnold on Wednesday, though. He should've thrown an interception in 7-on-7 action when Camryn Bynum jumped a route but couldn't hold onto the ball. He also had a couple early misses to Jordan Addison, although the two later connected a couple times. It's all about accuracy, decision-making, and consistency when it comes to Darnold. His first day was a solid one that both his upside and his room for growth.

McCarthy's first day of camp

Darnold got the first reps and Nick Mullens was up second, but McCarthy got his opportunities as well. His very first throw of the day was a screen pass that was tipped up into the air, forcing the rookie QB to leap over some defenders and bat it down himself. His second throw was a pretty ball to Lucky Jackson over the middle of the field — a throw that showcased the zip we saw from McCarthy during spring practices.

That kind of summed up the day for McCarthy, who had some good moments and some bad ones on a limited number of reps. There was a miss to N'Keal Harry (who's a tight end now, by the way) and nice completions to Thayer Thomas and Trent Sherfield. It's going to be fun to see how McCarthy progresses over the course of camp.

Blackmon leaves with injury

After one play midway through practice, Vikings second-year cornerback Mekhi Blackmon hobbled off the field and went down on the sideline with what is reportedly a torn ACL. He was down for at least three full minutes while being looked at by trainers. Blackmon eventually got up and was limping, although he appeared to be putting weight on both legs. He went back into the building and didn't return to practice.

The injury is a major blow for the Vikings. The 2023 third-round pick out of USC showed some impressive flashes as a rookie and could be in line for a big role at corner alongside Byron Murphy Jr. and Shaq Griffin. In Blackmon's absence, Akayleb Evans saw some work with the first-team defense. Newly-signed veteran Duke Shelley could be in the mix for playing time as well.

Depth chart notes and other observations

* Blake Brandel is still the left guard with the Vikings’ starting offense. Dalton Risner was working at RG with the second unit. The guess is that the two best players out of Brandel, Ed Ingram, and Risner will be the starters, with the possibility of Risner supplanting the current top guy at either spot.
* Andrew Van Ginkel (foot) took a few reps in 7s, but not in 11s. Dallas Turner was out there with Jonathan Greenard with the 1s, and Pat Jones II mixed in a bit as well. Van Ginkel, who is ramping up, was riding the stationary bike after practice.
* At defensive tackle, the three players who saw the most time with the 1s were as expected: Harrison Phillips, Jonathan Bullard, and Jerry Tillery.
* Blake Cashman and Ivan Pace Jr. shared the field at times in 11s, then rotated with each other in 7s.
* Johnny Mundt was in the T.J. Hockenson role today. He made a nice play down the seam on a good throw from Darnold.
* The WR3 battle is going to be fascinating. Brandon Powell saw the most time there today, making a couple grabs (and nearly one of the highlights of the day when he couldn’t quite corral a diving catch). Sherfield and Jalen Nailor should also be in that mix, and other young players could emerge as well.
* Griffin, the Vikings’ new veteran corner, had a PBU against Jefferson that he celebrated animatedly, but a late flag came in that may have been on him. He plays with the physicality the Vikings need.

That's all I've got from Wednesday's session. As usual, I'll be writing these practice recaps every day throughout training camp. One down, a bunch more to go.