J.J. McCarthy's development is the focus of Vikings training camp with one aspect being the priority

J.J. McCarthy working on different velocity throws

One of the many things that McCarthy needs to work on during training camp is throwing different pitches. Understanding when to layer the ball over defenders and when to rocket it past them is something that is an acquired skill.

Head coach Kevin O'Connell elaborated on layered throws during his press conference on Saturday.

"When a lot of you guys were here for the spring, where there were definitely some throws where the maximum RPMs probably weren't required. In some cases, what I deem to be a little bit more valuable are the ones where there's a void and there's a vacancy, but there might be a defender in front and a defender behind, and we've got to find a way to get that ball completed. That's probably the biggest difference between college football and the NFL, at least with a lot of the passing attacks that I'm familiar with. The vertical, voids, deep part of the field, underneath coverage. How do we occupy and then throw in behind versus the wider hashes in college, a lot of times, you're throwing through open voids all the way through a target. We got to try to create them.

"Luckily, our defense, the way they play, and some of the things that they're not only doing, but also some of the new things they're doing, are forcing some of those throws. I don't know, you guys may or may not have noticed, I know we slowed down the tempo yesterday, but a lot of that was designed as well. We're still getting the work. But I thought JJ threw the ball really well yesterday in a lower volume day, he's working on different trajectories. You're still seeing the revolutions on the ball, but not that heavy finish, more so that up-and-down two-ball feel that we kind of talk about. We condensed it down in the red zone, that's the hardest place to do it, where the ball might be on the five-yard line, and you take a drop in the gun, you've got 20 yards of real space. Otherwise, you're throwing the ball in the bleachers. So long answer, but I think it's we've got to try to create them, but then also manufacture different points in time to give him fundamental work at it. I think Josh [McCown] is doing a good job with that."

The good thing with O'Connell at the helm is he understands how to help that transition from the college game to the pros. That, along with quarterbacks coach Josh McCown having played nearly 20 years in the NFL, gives McCarthy everything you would need to figure out how and when to make those throws.

One element that is interesting with this entire process is O'Connell intentionally slowed practice down to help McCarthy with that. It's a smart move, as that can instill a lot of positivity with those elements.

Now that the pads are set to go on, things will be getting more condensed and physical, meaning those throws will get harder. Maybe that was O'Connell's plan all along.