EAGAN, Minn. — Just like that, we're on the backside of 2026 Vikings Training Camp.

Minnesota on Monday entered the second week of the preseason and eased into what is guaranteed to be an exciting week with the Baltimore Ravens and first-year Head Coach Jesse Minter visiting TCO Performance Center for practices before the team's scheduled exhibition this weekend at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Vikings are planning a walk-through Tuesday, and the Ravens will be on site Wednesday and Thursday before the teams meet at noon (CT) Saturday.

Here are three observations from Monday's practice (No. 14 overall):

1. Tap, tap, toe-tap it in

T.J. Hockenson, and his new-look 'do, was on absolute fire in a condensed 7-on-7 period.

The veteran tight end and Kyler Murray connected for not one, nor two but three touchdowns in super tight quarters against the first defense. To start, Hockenson boxed out Jay Ward along the white stripe and elevated to snag a pass and tap his toes for six points before Ward laid a lick on him (not as brutal as the one he put on Giants QB Jaxson Dart for a sack last Saturday, though). Hock' toe-tapped for six on the very next snap, too, this time ascending in the back middle of the end zone and tucking the rock as he went to the grass.

Hockenson polished a TD trifecta toward the end of the period when he faded away from Blake Cashman in the front center of the zone at the last possible second and retrieved another look from Murray. The defense begged for a push-off pass interference penalty on Hock', but the officials signaled a clean score.

Tight ends Josh Oliver and Ben Yurosek also made nice catches. Oliver uncovered on a corner route to serve as a Sears Tower-sized target for Murray in 7-on-7, and Yurosek snagged a hot spiral from J.J. McCarthy as he bolted across the field during a QB rollout. Yurosek's momentum carried him into the prairie grass bordering the grid, and he performed an unbelievable hop, skip and jump — something like that — to stay on his feet.

Wide receiver Jeshaun Jones also made a catch on a McCarthy pass — both worthy of a shoutout — in 7-on-7 as Jones ran across the back of the end zone and fought through Chuck Demmings' coverage. With the rookie corner right on Jones' tail, McCarthy put the perfect amount of mustard and touch on it.

2. Takeaways feast

Minnesota's defense was in its bag Saturday, intercepting two Giants passes, and kept taking the ball away Monday when Theo Jackson, Zemaiah Vaughn, Dallas Turner and Byron Murphy, Jr., nabbed picks.

Jackson got the group grooving by making Murray pay for an overthrow to Justin Jefferson on an over route in the initial team period. Vaughn followed suit when the units transitioned to the low red zone for 7-on-7, and he left the ground to bring down a throw into the paint from Carson Wentz to Dillon Bell. Later, in a team period repping second and third downs, Murray attempted a screen pass to his left, but it was disrupted, and Dallas Turner intercepted a ricochet while in position for a large return. Murphy added to the takeaways ledger when he read Wentz's eyes like a book in the final practice period.

Notably, Vaughn nearly sealed a second interception for himself in the middle-down period, laying out and breaking up a pass for Terrill Davis that Wentz roped deep and to the left as he rolled hard to his left.

Aside from the picks, the defense likely would've secured a muffed shotgun snap to Murray that was low.

3. Logging more reps

Jacob Thomas, the undrafted rookie from James Madison, was the lone Thomas in the secondary Monday, which is significant considering there's two others — veteran Tavierre, who did not practice, and rookie Jakobe, who was suited up but sat out most of the session.

The NFL inadvertently attributed Jacob Thomas' second-half interception Saturday to Jakobe, who is highly touted out of Miami, in its initial X post of the replay. Chalk it up as an honest mistake. But it shouldn't happen, again, since Jacob Thomas has factored into the defense since spring and is starting to look more comfortable as a playmaker and communicator.

After Monday's practice, Thomas told media that the best piece of advice he's received from a teammate so far was Jackson's tip to "be patient with my feet" and "let things come to you."

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