‘Observers’ shocked by some of the throws Sam Darnold makes in Vikings practice

With mandatory minicamp scheduled and voluntarily organized team activities concluding Thursday, June 13, it is now clear that Sam Darnold will likely be the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1 against the New York Giants.

Vikings fans may want to see rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy get the nod, but Kevin O’Connell and his colleagues have preached patience with his development. And the hype around Darnold is strong, both from the coaching staff and the media, about how good the 26-year-old former No. 3 overall pick has been right from the start.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold has been extremely impressive this offseason

That continued Wednesday, when Dane Mizutani (Pioneer Press) recently wrote about Darnold’s performance. He remembered one particular corner zone throw from mandatory minicamp that stood out. That looks like the type of penny only entry-level quarterbacks earn on a regular basis.

“The most impressive part,” notes Mizutani, “the anticipation it takes to complete the pass.” But apparently this isn’t anything new to those around TCO Performance Center, who have been working with Darnold for months. He was as consistent as he was impressive.