The Minnesota Vikings will gather in Eagan for training camp over the next few weeks, offering fans a first look at how the 2025 team is shaping up.

Though last season ended disappointingly, for much of the year, the Vikings were among the best teams in the league. Even with a new quarterback at the wheel, the Vikings will have high expectations thanks to a rebuilt offensive line, some key defensive additions and the return of one of the league's best coaching staffs.

So, for fans attending camp or watching from afar, WCCO has compiled some players to keep an eye on, ranging from the hyperobvious to the "who is that again?"

J.J. McCarthy

This Vikings season will largely go as the second-year quarterback does. He's walking into an infrastructure that helped Sam Darnold throw 35 touchdowns, and if McCarthy can play as well (or, hopefully, better) than Darnold did, the Vikings will be a playoff team again. That's not an easy ask — Darnold's play at times seemed providential — but the Vikings took McCarthy with the 10th overall pick a year ago for a reason.

The last time fans saw McCarthy on the field was in the 2024 preseason, when he threw a couple of beautiful touchdown passes (for balance, he also had an unfortunate interception). Training camp will offer the best look at the young passer since that game, and while it won't offer a definitive answer, it will at least give fans an idea of his development. Head coach Kevin O'Connell has espoused confidence in the young passer all offseason. Time to find out if that's been flimflam or McCarthy is the genuine article.

Dallas Turner  

You could call Turner's rookie season a disappointment — when you trade up to take a pass rusher 17th overall, you certainly hope to get more than three sacks out of it. But Turner's situation was unique. Stuck behind two pass rushers on absolute heaters last season (Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel), he had flashes when he was able to get on the field.

Turner only played 28% of defensive snaps last season. Has he earned a larger role in the rotation? Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is one of the best pressure designers in the league, and behind the top two guys, the Vikings aren't exactly flush with rushers. Training camp could provide some insight into what Turner's role will be in year two.

Theo Jackson

Jackson's new deal and Cam Bynum's departure in free agency signal an increased role for the former sixth-round pick. Alongside Harrison Smith and Josh Metellus, he'll hold down the back end of Flores' defense. For his part, Flores doesn't sound worried about handing Bynum's role to Jackson.

"Theo's been great, and that's something we've been saying for two years," Flores said earlier this offseason. "I think he's steadily built his communication skills, his techniques, his fundamentals, his disguises, his playmaking ability. He's one of the hardest workers we have."

With little competition on the roster, Jackson is all but guaranteed a starting job. After years of special teams play and backup duties, how will he handle being the starter? Bynum left big shoes to fill, both in terms of his play and, perhaps more importantly, his coordination of the team's celebrations.

Mekhi Blackmon

Cornerback is almost certainly the most concerning position for the Vikings heading into this season. Standout Byron Murphy Jr. returns, but behind him, there are a lot of unknowns. The team is betting big on free agent acquisition Isaiah Rodgers, who served as a backup and spot starter for the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles over the past few seasons.

Blackmon seems to be the forgotten man in the room. The former third-round pick played admirably in his rookie season and saw his role increase throughout it. An ACL tear ended his sophomore season before it began, though, and the Vikings were left scrambling in the secondary. Can Blackmon do enough to earn a starting spot? The Vikings' cornerback room has a lot of names but not a lot of solid players, so a bounceback from Blackmon would be a great boon.

Silas Bolden

The 5-foot-8, 160-pound Bolden, an undrafted receiver out of Texas, isn't likely to be catching many passes on offense. But he very well could make the roster as a return specialist. Bolden was third in the nation in punt return yards last season and scored five return touchdowns across his college career. The Vikings struggled to find an effective returner last season, so spending a roster spot on some stability and explosiveness at the position might be worth it if Bolden flashes in camp.

• Minnesota Vikings