Michael Floyd insists he doesn’t feel he has to make a good impression with the Vikings on Thursday. But it wouldn’t hurt.

The 27-year-old receiver from St. Paul signed with his home-state team in May, a month after players had reported for offseason drills, and it has taken time for him to get up to speed with the offense. With Minnesota opening its preseason schedule at 6 p.m. Thursday at Buffalo, he finally feels comfortable.

“I’m learning it a lot better now than I did in the spring,” Floyd said. “I was kind of out there with my head cut off” during the early sessions.

Floyd, who starred at Cretin-Derham Hall High School, will miss the first four games of the regular season because of an NFL suspension for his DUI arrest in Arizona last December. So it’s important for the Vikings to get a good look at him in the preseason to know what they have.

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Pioneer Press predictions: Then or now, Colts seem to have Vikings’ number Floyd had 164 catches for 2,731 yards with Arizona over three seasons from 2013-15. But he slipped to 37 receptions for 488 yards in 2016, a season he finished with Super Bowl-champion New England after the Cardinals released him following his DUI arrest.

“I’m looking forward for Thursday, to get back out there on the field and perform at my best,” Floyd said. “It’s going to be great. I think the passion and the love for the game, you’re just going out there and trying to do your best and make plays.”

Floyd is coming off an impressive training camp in Mankato. True, he wasn’t playing against the first-string defense, but he had a number of acrobatic catches.

“That one-handed one he had in the end zone (over cornerback Tre Roberson) was pretty nice,” tight end David Morgan said. “Back shoulder, went up and got it.”

Following his conviction in February, Floyd served 24 days in jail and had a three-month home confinement split between Arizona and Minnesota. He served an additional day in jail in June when he tested positive for alcohol, but said he consumed it unknowingly by drinking kombucha tea.

During his home confinement period in the Twin Cities, Floyd lived with Vikings tight end and former Notre Dame teammate Kyle Rudolph, who put in a good word for him before he was signed with the team.

“There’s a reason why I vouched for him,” Rudolph said. “He’s a good player. So I’m not surprised by (Floyd’s strong camp). He’s going to help us win football games.”

Floyd won’t be eligible to play until Minnesota’s fifth game, Oct. 9 at Chicago. During his suspension, he will be able to attend meetings and continue to provide wisdom to Minnesota’s many young receivers.

“That’s my guy,” said Stefon Diggs, 23. “You’re going to pay attention to older guys, especially guys who have been in the league for awhile. … (There’s) not too much they haven’t seen. You just go out and pay attention.”

If all goes well for Floyd, he could end up as the Vikings’ No. 3 receiver behind Diggs and Adam Thielen. He said he didn’t feel a sense of urgency to make a strong impression in the preseason because of his suspension.

“I’m going out and playing as tough and as hard as I can, and that’s it,” he said.

Floyd last played in New England’s AFC divisional playoff game against Houston in January, when he caught one pass for nine yards. But in that game, he dropped a pass that led to an interception, had another drop that was nearly picked off and was flagged for interference. He then was inactive for the AFC championship game and for the Patriots’ stirring Super Bowl victory over Atlanta.

“I was (with New England) for two months, so it’s not really a disappointing thing (being inactive for the Super Bowl),” Floyd said. “But it was a great experience for me to be there. I loved the team, the organization.”

Floyd is one of two Vikings players with a Super Bowl ring, along with nose tackle Linval Joseph, who started for the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI.

But don’t expect Floyd to be flashing his ring around the locker room.

“I mean, I’m not going to go to the game and wear it,” he said. “It’s not a thing that you wear. You can wear it to a special event, but not to a game.”

Floyd now has another goal: winning a Super Bowl ring with Vikings.

“Yes sir,” he said.