EAGAN, Minn. — Yes, yes, yes! The 230-day wait to return to U.S. Bank Stadium is coming to an end at noon (CT) Saturday when Minnesota and Baltimore meet up during the second week of NFL exhibitions.

Head Coach Kevin O'Connell said Thursday that Kyler Murray and the first team won't play after the volume of work they got against the Ravens on the grass at TCO Performance Center, and that the staff will be smart with many players so they can get adequate rest. J.J. McCarthy is most likely going to start.

Building on last week’s preview for the 13-10 win at the Giants, we've narrowed our focus a bit more.

Here are four young players to watch Saturday (two each on offense and defense), along with three "Quotes of the Week" that illuminated the far-reaching significance of joint practices versus the Ravens.

Here were our takeaways Wednesday and Thursday.

Dillon Bell

The Vikings receivers room has star triplets in Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings. But after them, there's a collection of young and unproven receivers vying for snaps that'll need to step up.

Myles Price and Tai Felton seem to be near the top of the depth pecking order based on having a year in the system and strong springs and summers. Bell, undrafted out of Georgia, is another player in the mix, and two solid games to close out the preseason could help confirm him as a high-upside gadget-y player. Despite some drops in camp, he has looked sure-handed in the red zone, including in the joint practices.

One NFC National Scout told Lance Zierlein of NFL.com in the leadup to the draft: "Some scouts see him as Deebo-lite (referencing Deebo Samuel), but I wouldn't go that far."

Either way, Bell has the frame at 6-foot, 209 pounds to withstand tackle attempts, and great run-after-the-catch potential; his 9.40 RAS was 16^th out of 382 measured wide receivers in 2026, and 251^st out of 4,196 at his position since 1987. In his first NFL action, Bell played 17 snaps on offense and seven on special teams. He entered the game on offense late in the third quarter, and he received his first touch on a jet sweep, quickly sticking his foot in the turf and getting vertical for a gain of 17. Bell was targeted by Carson Wentz in the flat after motioning left to right on the next snap but got a little antsy and took his eye off the ball. Later on, Bell took a second jet sweep and mashed the pedal to the perimeter for 10.

Demond Claiborne

Claiborne's cup runneth over with juice. He nearly split through a crease for a real shot at six points on the game-opening kickoff last week; he nearly ballerina'd out of a shoestring tackle along the sideline for a 1-on-1 with a safety in the open field — another serious chance for six — on his first rush, a toss sweep to the left; and he nearly tightrope'd the sideline into the end zone after bouncing out on an off-tackle handoff a few plays before Wentz linked with Price on the go-ahead goal-line fade. Repeatedly, Claiborne was on the brink of breaking free — and showing New York what he's shown Minnesota since the spring.

The sixth-round rookie from Wake Forest is slight (5-foot-10, 188 lbs.), but his speed is supreme. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Claiborne clocked a 4.37 40-yard dash. At Vikings Training Camp, he had a wealth of explosive runs and chunks of yards after the catch. On Thursday, he punctuated a 2-minute scoring drive for the second offense on a 20-plus yard TD dash around the edge. Claiborne is a work in progress in pass pro — granted, he laid his body down for a couple nice cut blocks in front of the QB at the Giants — and he had a fumbling issue in 2025 (he coughed up the rock after a bursty run on the first day of joint practices) but the change-of-pace potential he offers the Vikings backfield is extreme. Extremely likeable.

Additionally, Claiborne's prowess as a kick returner is legitimate. He housed two for the Demon Deacons on 22 career returns. Something to be mindful of is that if Price emerges with a larger offensive role this season, it may be ideal to find his successor or sharer in the KOR phase, and save Price to return punts.

Jacob Roberts

Unheralded as he may be, Roberts (6-foot-1, 233 pounds) has been highly involved throughout his football career. He led his high school team in tackles and interceptions as a senior; he was über-productive in 32 games at North Carolina A&T, making 218 tackles and five interceptions, and blocking six kicks; he had a standout transfer year at Wake Forest in 2023 with 83 tackles and six sacks; and he compiled 97 tackles on defense and 19 on special teams across 24 games for the CFL's Calgary Stampeders before signing a contract with the Vikings in January this year. Then, in his first NFL game action, and on his fourth of 18 defensive snaps, Roberts continued to produce, picking off Giants QB Brandon Allen in New York territory. The takeaway set up Minnesota for the decisive score. Before and after that play, Roberts showed a knack on some reps for blitzing, sifting around bigger bodies as a run defender, and swiveling his head in coverage. He also exerted good effort on nine special teams snaps.

Roberts doesn't have a ton of camp highlights on the defensive side because he's behind Blake Cashman, Eric Wilson, Ivan Pace, Jr., and Jake Golday on the depth chart; Josh Ross also holds an experience edge on Roberts after spending a portion of 2025 on the Vikings practice squad. The 24-year-old Roberts is firmly in the mix, however, to contribute on special teams, and his aggressiveness stood out in certain drills with the Ravens. It wouldn't be a shock to see him get extensive looks in both phases on Saturday.

Jacob Thomas

One of three Thomases in the fold for safety snaps (along with third-round rookie Jakobe, and veteran Tavierre, a steady special-teamer throughout his eight-year career), Jacob was likely a long shot to earn a roster spot due to his undrafted nature and limited exposure to top-tier competition at James Madison.

He's logged first-team reps in practice, however, including on both days against the Ravens, and he showed terrific range last Saturday, racing from the hashmarks to the sideline to intercept a pass on third down. There are a few other elements working in Thomas' favor. First, the safeties group is amidst a makeover, so to speak, with Harrison Smith floating in retire-or-return limbo; Joshua Metellus is one proven playmaker; Jay Ward is listed as a starter on the team's first unofficial depth chart and whacked QB Jaxson Dart on a blitz last week, but 2025 was really his first time playing meaningful snaps on defense in three pro seasons; Theo Jackson will have a role but the extent of it is unknown (likely out of caution, he didn't return to practice Thursday after getting banged up in coverage); Jakobe Thomas is regarded as a great schematic fit but hasn't played in team drills recently due to back stiffness; and veteran Jamal Adams presented versatility (rostered as a LB, but on the depth chart, initially, as a safety), before he suffered a torn quadriceps tendon in the place he played home games to begin his career.

The second piece of the pie is Thomas owns desirable size (6-1, 212) and move-ability to be used in various packages. He finished just shy of 200 tackles at JMU and posted double-digit tackles for loss and pass breakups, with five interceptions. Notably, Thomas flattened a Vikings tight end during the annual night practice, and teammates have spoken highly of his intelligence and communication on a consistent basis. Thomas played 14 special teams snaps and 38 of the team's 54 defensive snaps at the Giants; he aligned at free safety (19 snaps), as well as in the box (10), and over the slot (five), and on the ball (four).

Head Coach Kevin O'Connell said:

"Derrick Henry always tells me, I think he's told me three separate times now — every time I see him — that he forgets how tall I am. And I'm like, 'You're just used to being taller than everybody you walk by; that doesn't mean I'm going to throw a haymaker or anything. I'm gonna try to run for the hills if you get mad at me.' But that's the cool part about this — the relaxed setting. I mean you guys will see it today when we end and guys are spending time on the field together. The Ravens are going to go in there and lift after practice in our weight room. That's what this is all about, you know, being good hosts and the brotherhood of NFL players getting a chance to spend some time together."

Wide receiver Justin Jefferson said:

"When somebody else comes into the building it kind of allows us to kind of get into game mode and to see a little bit different coverages than what we've been seeing with our defenses. So, it's just all about just coming in here, understanding that [there's] work to be done, understanding that it's not perfect — everything is not going to be perfect — but this is what these joint practices are for, for us to kind of see where we're at and to continue working and continue that connection [as an offense] going [forward]."

Tight end T.J. Hockenson said about playing with QB Kyler Murray in the joint practice setting:

"I think it makes you closer. I mean, I really do. Being able to talk through things that maybe, necessarily, we haven't gotten with our defense and being able to talk through looks that we haven't been able to get with our defense. I think it kind of makes you closer, kind of [allows you to] get on the same page in a lot of different things. Really [it's] just [about] communication and seeing what he's seeing and then understanding that and applying it. I think that's really all we're doing in camp is trying to communicate and be on the same page with him. And those are great conversations to have, especially when you go against a different defense; maybe we've been getting some looks that are premiere against ours, and then we come out here and there's different leverages or there's different stuff, and so just being able to communicate that with him [is important]."

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