Vikings Change Starting Lineup on Defense

Oct 24, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores watches from the sidelines against the Los Angeles Rams in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Jerry Tillery didn’t get the start for the Vikings. Instead, Jalen Redmond — someone I’ve been high on for a while — got the nod. It was Redmond’s first ever start in the NFL.

The talented defensive lineman finished his day with 39 snaps, easily a career-high for the 25-year-old defender. Crunch the numbers and that’s 53% of the defense’s total. Within that opportunity, Redmond snagged 4 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 2 passes defended. In other words, Redmond had a productive day.

Vikings Change Starters on Defense

The issue isn’t that Tillery is a bad player. Rather, it’s that his impact has been somewhat modest.

Redmond, in contrast, seems to make a difference with whatever opportunity he gets. Last week, Redmond got some love from head coach Kevin O’Connell, earning a game ball for his efforts in the Week 13 victory. Fast forward a week and the defensive lineman is being inserted into the starting lineup and earning the largest workload of his career.

Aug 24, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Jalen Redmond (61) recovers a fumble against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Caean Couto-USA TODAY Sports

Now, part of the rationale might have been that Atlanta was going to be committed to running the football. Maybe Redmond is a bit sturdier at the line of scrimmage, allowing the Brian Flores defense to matchup a bit better.

And, no doubt, Atlanta’s offense did run the ball, doing so effectively. In total, the Falcons had 32 carries go for 158 yards and 2 touchdowns. Atlanta averaged 4.9 yards per carry, well above the norm for what the Vikings usually allow.

Redmond, perhaps, will get dinged for some of his reps in these moments. But then it’s also important to note that Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier are an excellent tandem running behind a strong offensive line. There are times in football when you just have to tip your cap.

NFL: Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings
Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Redmond often demonstrated good hustle in the game, contributing to his ability to pile up his 4 tackles. And then the pair of TFLs speak to his quickness and ability to work through the o-line to create some chaos behind the line of scrimmage.

And don’t overlook the passes defended. If a d-lineman is snagged at the line, getting one’s mitts up once the QB is gearing up to pass makes a lot of sense. Doing so helps to cloud the passer’s vision and (possibly) knocks down the ball. On two occasions, Redmond successfully tipped the ball before it could get to its intended target.

Jalen Redmond, 25, is working on a single-season deal that’s accounting for less than $1 million on the cap. Look for him to be a priority to retain once the offseason hits. In his 134 snaps, the defender has snagged 13 tackles, 1 sack, 1 QB hit, 6 tackles for loss, and 2 passes defended.

Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.


K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.