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Why coach Kevin O'Connell is confident Irv Smith Jr. will be a 'big part' of what Vikings do in '22

EAGAN, Minn. -- On a recent spring day, Irv Smith Jr. walked purposefully to the line of scrimmage. He took his place next to Minnesota Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw and waited for the snap. Then he jogged a few steps forward, turned into the flat and hauled in a toss from quarterback Kirk Cousins.

It was a small but significant step for Smith, a rising star who missed the entire 2021 season because of a right knee injury and still has not been cleared for full participation in OTA workouts.