Vikings training camp recap, Day 6: J.J. McCarthy continues to do good things

Recapping what went down at Vikings training camp on Tuesday.

Vikings offensive linemen at training camp at TCO Performance Center. / Will Ragatz

J.J. McCarthy wasted little time on Tuesday. On the second play of 11-on-11 action, the Vikings' rookie quarterback stood in the pocket and launched a ball more than 55 yards downfield to Trishton Jackson, who had gotten behind free safety Camryn Bynum. McCarthy needed to get it closer to 60-plus yards to hit Jackson in stride, but the ball got there nonetheless for a huge gain. The fans in attendance on another hot late-July afternoon at TCO Performance Center loved it.

This was another day where McCarthy's upside was evident, even if his good plays were mixed in with some learning moments. Following that deep ball to Jackson, McCarthy booted out to the left and showed his athleticism by scrambling for a decent gain when he couldn't find an open target. Later, in a red zone 7-on-7 period, he connected with Jackson again on a perfectly-placed ball in the back corner of the end zone against man coverage.

For the second time in four days, McCarthy did well in the red zone 7s. He also connected with Jalen Nailor, Nick Muse, and Jeshaun Jones for scores, and should've had another one when Lucky Jackson dropped a well-placed back shoulder throw near the front pylon. With that said, one thing that stood out as an area of improvement for McCarthy was his decisiveness. On a few of those reps against no pass rush, he held onto the ball longer than you'd like to see. As he continues to get more reps and grow in the Vikings' offense, the hope is that he'll read things quicker and let it rip.

As for QB1 Sam Darnold, it was a fairly unremarkable day. He was solid in 11-on-11s but struggled in the red zone period, with defensive backs like Byron Murphy Jr. and Josh Metellus making strong plays for PBUs. Neither Darnold nor McCarthy threw an interception.

Read: Kevin O'Connell: 'A lot of work to do' before determining QB depth chart

Other observations from Tuesday

Shaq Griffin remains out with what he said is a hamstring injury, so the Vikings' cornerbacks with the first-team defense are Byron Murphy Jr., Akayleb Evans, and Duke Shelley. Working with the second unit were Andrew Booth Jr., Jay Ward, and Dwight McGlothern. The Vikings are adding veteran Fabian Moreau, who has 56 NFL starts and can play on the outside.

Even on a day with no pads, Harrison Phillips stood out in the middle of the Vikings' defense. He blew up a run play on the very first rep of the practice, then later took Garrett Bradbury to the grass and got a little chippy with Minnesota's starting center.

Aaron Jones continues to look like a guy who's in line for a big season if he can stay healthy. The way he explodes through holes and makes decisive cuts in the open field is something the Vikings haven't had since maybe 2021 Dalvin Cook. Jones is impressive to watch in person.

Jeshaun Jones, an undrafted rookie receiver out of Maryland, is a sleeper to watch. He's been making plays with the second-team offense and showing some chemistry with McCarthy.

To wrap up the day, the Vikings worked on their transitions from offense into special teams. They'd run one play on offense and then quickly run out the punt or kicking unit. We've got a full-blown punting competition on our hands; both Ryan Wright and Seth Vernon showed off their big legs and downed balls inside the five.

Lastly, one day after the Vikings made Will Reichard the only kicker on their roster, the rookie from Alabama missed wide right from long range on his first two attempts of the practice. He did, however, bounce back by drilling a 55-yarder with room to spare. He's been good so far, so I'm not going to be concerned about the two long misses at this point.