New Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is helming his own team for the first time in his career in 2022. At Vikings training camp, he is now the final decision-maker on the entire Vikings roster and, as such, has to figure out how to take the team to the next level that former head coach Mike Zimmer was never able to get Kirk Cousins and company to.

Viking training camp is still in its very early days. The team’s veterans reported on Tuesday, July 26, and the first day of contact in full pads wasn’t until Tuesday, August 2. Despite the small sample size, there are still several Vikings players who have caught the attention of coaches, media, and fans.

Here are three pleasant surprises standing out in Vikings 2022 training camp.

3 players who have impressed in Vikings 2022 training camp

3. TE Zach Davidson

Someday, promising former Alabama tight end Irv Smith Jr. might develop into the player the Vikings thought he could become when the franchise drafted him in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Unfortunately for Smith and the organization, it already looks like 2022 might not be that someday.

Smith missed all of 2021 with a knee injury and is already on the shelf in Vikings training camp after undergoing thumb surgery. While this isn’t good news for Smith and the team, it does give other TEs a chance to impress Kevin O'Connell.

The young in-line pass-catcher who’s seized this opportunity seems to be 2021 fifth-round pick Zach Davidson. The former Division II star from Central Missouri (where he also played punter!) has drawn praise from his new quarterback, Kirk Cousins.

Cousins told reporters after a recent practice that Davidson had “a high ceiling,” “a lot of ability,” and “a desire to work.” The QB went so far as to compare him to a former favorite target, Tyler Conklin.

If the 6-foot-7, 251-pound pass-catcher keeps it up, Davidson may not just make the Vikings roster in 2022 but also excel.

2. WR K.J. Osborn

The Vikings roster will include Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen as the Nos. 1 and 2 wide receivers, without a doubt. That No. 3 spot, though, is still up in the air. So far, the player putting himself in the lead position for that role in 2022 is third-year WR K.J. Osborn.

After contributing nothing in the passing game during his rookie season, Osborn made a major leap last year with 50 catches for 655 yards and seven touchdowns in addition to his punt return duties.

Now, heading into season three, Vikings fans hope the young pass-catcher is in line for the fabled third-year WR breakout season.

If Vikings 2022 training camp is any indication, he just might be. After a visit to Vikings training camp, NFL insider Albert Breer reported in Sports Illustrated that “Osborn’s already been productive, and should have a nice role alongside Jefferson and Thielen.”

1. OT Christian Darrisaw

The Minnesota Vikings offensive line ranked 23rd in the NFL last year, according to PFF. For the team to make a leap this season, that unit has to do better. One of the keys is 2021 first-round pick Christian Darrisaw.

Darrisaw had a nice season last year, garnering an upper-middle of the pack grade from PFF of 71.8. However, this season, Kevin O’Connell and Kirk Cousins need him to become the left tackle rock of the Vikings roster.

So far, the early reports are promising. Breer reports that the new coaching staff “sees shades of Trent Williams in [Darrisaw’s] build and movement skills.” Vikings coaches also believe he has “a chance to make a significant leap this year, perhaps into the upper echelon at his position.”

If Darrisaw can become an elite left tackle, that will go a long way to allowing O’Connell’s new offense to flourish.