The depth at cornerback continues to get tested for the Vikings with training camp in full swing.

After going down with a leg injury on Thursday afternoon, veteran cornerback Shaq Griffin still has not returned to practice. He watched from the sidelines on Saturday afternoon as fans descended upon TCO Performance Center for the first time in training camp.

Asked about Griffin, head coach Kevin O’Connell emphasized that the Vikings will be cautious with him. Though it doesn’t appear to be anything too serious, Griffin will likely be asked to do a lot this seaosn, so the Vikings don’t want to rush him back by any means.

“We’re kind of monitoring him,” O’Connell said. “Hopefully we can get him back sooner than later.”

Ironically, Griffin got hurt while intercepting a pass during 11 on 11 drills. He broke on a ball over the middle with reckless abandon and hauled it in before coming up lame. The recovery process for Griffin will be determined by vice president of player health and development Tyler Williams.

The absence opens the door most notably for young cornerback Akayleb Evans as well as Andrew Booth Jr. Both players have taken some reps with the starers with veteran cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. playing on the opposite side of the field and safety Josh Metellus spending a lot of time in the slot.

What is O’Connell looking for out of players like Evans and Booth?

“Just turn it loose,” O’Connell said. “I talk to our guys a lot offensively about shooting their shot. It’s the same thing on defense. Just go try to make a play.”

There will be even more chances for the rest of the cornerbacks to stand out next week when the pads go on.

There’s also a pretty good chance the Vikings decide to add another player to mix to create more competition.

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

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

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