The Vikings were looking forward to getting their first in-game look at Mistral Raymond in last Saturday's preseason opener at Tennessee. However, that never happened as the safety suffered a hamstring injury after picking off a pass on the final play of training camp in Mankato and then racing down the sideline.

The sixth-round pick from South Florida returned to practice this week and is ready to make his debut when the Vikings play at Seattle on Saturday. Raymond is 6-foot-1, 194 pounds and has looked the part in practice. If that carries over into games, the team would be thrilled.

"Glad to have him back in practice," coach Leslie Frazier said. "He's practiced well the last couple of days. He's a guy we're anxious to take a look at in game situations. We feel pretty good about his athleticism and how well he's picked up on things on defense. Now it's a matter of how he plays against other opponents. We're looking forward to watching him play."

Raymond is expected to get second-team reps at free safety with Jamarca Sanford playing strong safety. Raymond bumped up to the first team last week when Husain Abdullah missed two days while visiting the White House. Raymond did not appear to be overmatched.

"His length shows up," Frazier said. "He's a long guy, and the fact that he's played corner tells you he has the athleticism to match up with tight ends and even backs out of the backfield. Hopefully it will translate into being a good safety. And he can tackle, which is key for a safety."