Vikings cornerback Shaq Griffin will miss practice with a leg injury

The Vikings continue to test their depth at cornerback as training camp gets underway.

Veteran cornerback Shaq Griffin has yet to return to practice after injuring his leg on Thursday afternoon. He watched from the sidelines Saturday afternoon as fans visited the TCO Performance Center for the first time in training camp.

When asked about Griffin, head coach Kevin O’Connell stressed that the Vikings will be careful with him. While it doesn’t seem like anything serious, Griffin will likely have to do a lot this season, so the Vikings definitely don’t want to rush him back.

“We’re kind of keeping an eye on him,” O’Connell said. “Hopefully we can get him back as soon as possible.”

Ironically, Griffin was injured when he intercepted a pass during 11-on-11 drills. He charged a ball over the middle with reckless abandon and hauled it in before going lame. Griffin’s recovery process will be determined by vice president of player health and development Tyler Williams.

The absences open the door in particular for young cornerbacks Akayleb Evans and Andrew Booth Jr. Both players have gotten some reps with the starting lineup, with veteran cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. playing on the other end of the field and safety Josh Metellus spending significant time in the slot.

What does O’Connell expect from players like Evans and Booth?

“Just let it flow,” O’Connell said. “I talk to our guys a lot about shooting on offense. Same thing on defense. Just try to make a play.”

Next week, the remaining cornerbacks will get even more chances to stand out when the pads are replaced.

There is also a good chance that the Vikings decide to add another player to create more competition.

There are certainly some interesting names available on the open market.

“I think we probably need to add some additional players at that position just to make sure we have enough people in that room to handle the rep load,” O’Connell said. “There could be some impact players that are interested in joining our team, and that’s what (general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah) and his staff are working on right now.”