EAGEN, Minnesota –What a beautiful day in Minnesota. Blue skies, fresh air and bright sunshine at the 17th and final stop of my first training camp. Here’s what I saw from the Vikings…

• I have a feeling Sam Darnold will be the starting quarterback for a couple of reasons. First, he’s really improved. He’s playing at a faster pace than he did earlier in his career, and the progress has been evident for the Vikings, from his late 2022 appearance in Carolina to last year’s preseason with the 49ers to his Christmas Eve cameo in Baltimore’s win over San Francisco (watch that again). Playing for Ben McAdoo and Kyle Shanahan also gave Darnold a really good foundation for the transition to Kevin O’Connell’s system, and the determination he’s playing with now makes that clear. The second reason? While JJ McCarthy’s arm talent, athleticism and intangibles have come as advertised, I believe O’Connell will be very disciplined when it comes to actually putting the rookie on the field — this won’t be one of those situations where the team has a rough couple of weeks and they put him on the field to try to create a spark. I also believe McCarthy, who is making some major overhauls (he’s improved his footwork), will benefit greatly from having a coach who prioritizes his development.

• Camp will answer two skill spot questions: Who will be the third receiver and how will the running back situation play out? On the first question, the Vikings hope Jalen Nailor is the answer. The 2022 sixth-round pick is shining in camp for the third year in a row. What has troubled him in the past has been his inability to stay healthy. With any luck, the Vikings see him developing into an ideal complement to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Their reason for optimism on that front? He’s flexible inside and outside, which is essential considering how often the Vikings move Jefferson and Addison, and he’s shown he can win his one-on-one situations consistently. On the second question, Aaron Jones has been a perfect fit, and Minnesota will pair him with Ty Chandler, which the Vikings believe will be an improvement over their position last year.

• The training camp star who doesn’t get as much attention: Blake Brandel. The big, strong, athletic five-year veteran received a three-year contract extension from the Vikings in March, largely due to the versatility he’s shown over the past few years as a replacement for multiple positions on the line (he actually started at left tackle for the injured Christian Darrisaw for a few weeks in 2022). Still, coaches felt he could benefit from being able to focus on one position, and that proved to be the case when they started him at left guard this summer. He, Ed Ingram and Dalton Risner are still battling for the two guard spots, but I’d bet on Brandel remaining in the starting lineup at left guard.

• The edge spot is in good shape in the Vikings’ first year post-Danielle Hunter. Jonathan Greenard’s athleticism and length are showing on the practice field, and his leadership skills have been key elsewhere, too, which is a bit different than what they had with the stoic Hunter. That’s really helped first-round pick Dallas Turner, whose development will be interesting to watch in Brian Flores’ offensive system. And Minnesota has depth there, too, with versatile playmaker Andrew Van Ginkel (who played for Flores in Miami) and camp surprise Patrick Jones II stepping up. It’s probably safe to assume you’ll see those four guys on the field together on some passing attempts.

• Safety may be the position with the most players on the roster. The Vikings are very comfortable with Harrison Smith, Camryn Bynum and Josh Metellus – all three of whom have clearly defined roles. Third-year player Theo Jackson, who has bounced around a bit, has also emerged as an outside hitter. That stability is good, as the Vikings have some moving parts to work with at corner, along with veterans Shaq Griffin and Byron Murphy Jr. Fabian Moreau, Akayleb Evans and Dwight McGlothern are battling for reps in a competition that could last well into the season.