Teddy Bridgewater impresses Vikings

Rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will get some reps with the Minnesota Vikings' first team offense during the team's organized team activities, coach Mike Zimmer said Friday.

Bridgewater, one of the Vikings' two first-round draft selections, will compete with veterans Matt Cassel and Christian Ponder for Minnesota's starting quarterback job this offseason.

Although he reiterated that Bridgewater currently is third on the Vikings' depth chart at quarterback, Zimmer told reporters Friday that he wants the former Louisville star to get some work in with the first-team offense during OTAs, which begin May 28.

"[Bridgewater] is throwing the ball good," Zimmer said, according to the Star Tribune. "I think he's got a good presence, a good command of the way he's taking things. It was good for him to be out here with the veteran quarterbacks a little bit last week for a few days."

Minnesota traded back into the first round to use the No. 32 overall pick on Bridgewater, who worked with Cassel and Ponder earlier this week during the Vikings' voluntary offseason program.

"Matt and Christian have been here for a while now, and those guys have been taking me under their wing and teaching me from a field standpoint and a film standpoint," Bridgewater said, according to the Star Tribune.

Bridgewater got to run some of new offensive coordinator Norv Turner's offense for the first time Friday, the opening day of the team's rookie minicamp.

Several Vikings coaches, including Zimmer, also have been impressed with Bridgewater's mental preparation and his ability to quickly learn the team's offensive terminology.

"It's not like, 'Hey, I'm throwing an out now,' " Zimmer said. "He would say the whole formation, the whole play, what it's on and go from there, just repeat it as he goes. That was impressive."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.