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3 Observations from Vikings 10th OTA Practice

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — That's a wrap for Vikings organized team activity (OTA) practices.

The team held its 10th and final offseason OTA practice Thursday morning at Winter Park.

The session was approximately 90 minutes outside in helmets and shorts in sunny weather.

The Vikings will hold a three-day mandatory minicamp next week before getting some time off before training camp, which starts on July 29 in Mankato.

Here are three observations from Thursday's session:

1. Harry's big week 

Vikings safety Harrison Smith wrapped up quite the week on Thursday. The Pro Bowl player signed a multiyear contract extension on Monday, then showed why his versatility is so valuable in practice.

With the Vikings in full team drills, Smith hovered near the line of scrimmage as if he was going to blitz. He bluffed instead, racing almost 15 yards back in coverage quickly enough to knock away a pass intended for wide receiver Stefon Diggs

2. Pinning them deep

The special teams portion provided an opportunity for Vikings punter Jeff Locke to place punts inside the 10-yard line. The drill also gave Minnesota's punt coverage unit a chance to work on preventing the kicks from rolling into the end zone. On the flip side, punt returners were thrown into decision-making situations as well.

3. New vantage point

Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer usually lines up behind the secondary during practice so he can read when his defense sees and what the offense looks like. With the Vikings working on red zone drills Thursday, Zimmer was joined by Smith, safety Andrew Sendejo and cornerbacks Captain Munnerlyn and Xavier Rhodes. Although the players usually watch from the sideline, Zimmer didn't hesitate to point out small details to the players as they watched from a different angle.

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