EAGAN, Minn. — Minnesota coaches are combing over plans, players are reporting soon and the mid-summer sun is near rising on Vikings 2025 Training Camp presented by Omni Viking Lakes Hotel.

The first public practice is scheduled for Saturday, July 26, as part of Back Together Weekend, which is presented by The Salvation Army. A total of 12 are scheduled to be open to fans, including joint sessions with the New England Patriots on Aug. 13-14. Ticket purchases and other information can be found here.

In preparation for the return of football, we started the positional previews Monday with quarterbacks.

Now, let's assess the state of Vikings pass catchers (yes, they can block well also).

RECEIVERS

RETURNING STARTERS: Jordan Addison, Justin Jefferson and Jalen Nailor

OTHER RETURNEES: Lucky Jackson, Jeshaun Jones and Thayer Thomas (all on 2024 practice squad)

NEWCOMERS: Veterans Tim Jones (with Jacksonville in 2024) and Rondale Moore (with Atlanta, but on IR all of 2024); draft pick Tai Felton; UDFAs Silas Bolden, Dontae Fleming, Robert Lewis and Myles Price

NEXT MILESTONES: Jefferson, the first person with at least 7,000 receiving yards in his first five NFL seasons, needs five receptions to reach the 500-catch mark. He needs four to pass Steve Jordan for fourth in team history and 40 to overtake former teammate Adam Thielen, who recorded 534 for Minnesota. After that, Jefferson will be in pursuit of only Randy Moss (587) and Cris Carter (1,004).

BE SURE TO CATCH: The way receivers track the football and make something that can be difficult look so smooth. Also, which, if any, of the players in this room obtain the keys to returning punts and/or kicks.

2024 RECAP: There were whispers of Three Deep 2.0 because of Nailor's breakthrough campaign strongly complementing Addison's sophomore ascension and Jefferson's unstoppable superstardom. Nailor sextupled his prior career touchdown tally (one from 2022-23) with six scores, including one in each of Minnesota's first three games. Jefferson crossed the 1,500-yard threshold for the third instance in five tries – Jerry Rice did that four times in 20 – and Addison shrugged off missing two games to injury with a late-season tear. He nabbed 49 catches for 644 yards and eight TDs in the final 10 games of 2024.

KEY DEPARTURES: Brandon Powell, 29, flashed as a receiver in 2023 and served as the team's punt returner the past two seasons. He averaged 7.6 yards and had a long return of 25 on 60 punt returns. Trent Sherfield, Sr., 29, posted eight catches with the Vikings and excelled as a gunner on special teams.

TIGHT ENDS

RETURNEES: T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver

NEWCOMERS: Draft pick Gavin Bartholomew; UDFAs Bryson Nesbit and Ben Yurosek; FA Giovanni Ricci

READY TO ROCK 'N ROLL: Hockenson racked up 41 catches and 455 yards after returning to action in Week 9. Oliver showed he can impact the passing game while Hockenson was out, as well as his blocking prowess. He signed an extension after setting season bests in receiving yards (258) and touchdowns (3).

SUCCESSION PLAN: The Vikings heavily leaned on Johnny Mundt for the past three seasons, but he signed with Jacksonville. Bartholomew has since stepped into the Purple 86 jersey formerly donned by Mundt and will vie to earn his stripes in that vacated TE3 role. Minnesota likes multifaceted tight ends.

2024 RECAP: Of all NFL tight ends that played 10 or more games, Oliver and Hockenson recorded the Nos. 8 and 10 overall offense grades according to Pro Football Focus. The former paired a career-high 68.6 receiving mark with the league's top run-blocking grade by a tight end (min. 100 blocking snaps). Although Hockenson went touchdown-less in the regular season, he hit pay dirt in the Wild Card loss.

KEY DEPARTURE: Mundt snared 55 balls for 454 yards and four touchdowns in 51 games and 15 starts.

3 Key Questions for Vikings receivers and tight ends

1. What is the effect of a first-year starting quarterback?

J.J. McCarthy's impact on the Vikings receivers and tight ends will be tremendous.

Tremendously __ (fill in the blank).

Of course, Jefferson minimizes most potential pain points. The 26-year-old phenom has snatched First-Team All-Pro honors with Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold targeting him. He's logged multiple touchdowns from three different passers (Cousins, 28; Nick Mullens, 2; and Darnold, 10), and has said in the past that his game is indifferent to the person playing quarterback (Jefferson's specialness knows no bounds).

It's foolish, however, to assume other Vikings receivers and tight ends can pick up the slack as fluidly.

Like any first-year starter, McCarthy is going to experience ups and downs. The roller coaster is inevitable, as is the notion Minnesota pass catchers will bear the brunt of the lowest parts. Ultimately, they'll be fine if they take it in stride – encourage and work with McCarthy, and put their trust in him.

Consider this, to boot: Five Vikings quarterbacks (Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold, Joshua Dobbs, Jaren Hall and Nick Mullens) in Head Coach Kevin O'Connell's system, which is geared at sidestepping post-snap problems by maximizing pre-snap recognition and mastering timing, have completed a combined 66.8 percent of their throws, with 95 touchdowns and 46 interceptions. That's good for a 95.7 passer rating.

The O'Connell – and Jefferson – effect, could turn McCarthy's inexperience into a non-factor.

2. How quickly will Felton be counted on?

The final choice of the third round this past April was a steady climber at Maryland, submitting a program-record 96 receptions in his final season for the Terrapins after totaling 76 across his first three.

Felton, obviously, enters a top-heavy receivers room – Addison, Jefferson and Nailor were one of four wide receiver trios last season with at least 25 catches, 400 yards and five touchdowns apiece – and thus shouldn't have to thrive immediately for the Vikings passing attack to sustain a leg up on defenses.

But there is always the possibility that the "next man" could be needed.

If Felton adjusts to nuances of the pro game at a good rate, he poses to be another dangerous, three-level weapon for Minnesota. He's strong and shifty enough to make defenders whiff after the catch, and plenty fast to scoot past coverage. The 6-foot-1, 183-pounder also has some appeal as a kick returner.

3. Which newcomer could gain the most ground in the preseason?

ESPN is one of many publications bullish on Vikings playmakers, recently ranking their skill group on offense – combining receivers and tight ends with running backs – as the sixth greatest of the 32 teams.

Only Philadelphia, Detroit, Cincinnati, San Francisco and the Los Angeles Rams were touted as having a better cast of players that make fans grip the edges of their seats and throw back a mouthful of popcorn.

Interestingly, there's a lot of undefined positions, if you will, on Minnesota's roster.

Who will seize WR4 and WR5 spots? Might either pull double duty as punt and/or kick returners? What about other gaps on special teams? … Does Bartholomew have serious challengers in the tight ends room? There's no shortage of questions relevant to the pass catchers – and no shortage of competition.

While some of the above can be answered now (Nesbit and Yurosek each produced more catches and yards than Bartholomew in college; i.e. they're talented in their own rights), practices, and, particularly, action against unfamiliar faces will show who's got "it" and stands the best chance to contribute in 2025.

We're extra curious about the candidates lining up to carve out responsibilities as a returner. With Powell gone, and more tweaks to the kickoff rules, there'll be an emphasis on bringing along explosive, smart, opportunistic players. Bolden, Moore and Price are several guys with watch-out tags next to their names.

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