Promising Vikings Defender Returns to Franchise after Short Absence
The Minnesota Vikings are in the driver’s seat in the NFC North. Last year, the Detroit Lions celebrated their first division win in roughly three decades, and both the Lions and the Green Bay Packers managed to win at least one postseason matchup, which is why they understandably were favored to win the North. But Kevin O’Connell’s Vikings have positioned themselves at the top of the division.
Promising Vikings Defender Returns to Franchise after Short Absence
A big reason for the team’s success is the defense coordinated by Brian Flores. Justin Jefferson fully credited that side of the ball for the win over the New York Jets in Week 5’s contest in London, and Flores’ scheme has left various quarterbacks bamboozled.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is the success is the running game. Many Vikings fans were concerned about the lack of additions next to top guy Harrison Phillips, as the front office failed to lure any big-name free agents to Minnesota and passed on interior linemen in the draft until the seventh round when Levi Drake Rodriguez was selected.
Besides the reps in which outside linebackers line up inside to take advantage of slower guards in the passing game, the Vikings have featured seven primary interior linemen. Phillips, Jerry Tillery, Jonathan Bullard, and hybrid defender Jihad Ward have all logged between 142 and 198 defensive reps. Undrafted rookie Taki Taimani follows with 56, while Jonah Williams and Jalen Redmond have each played 23 snaps.
Williams had been stashed on the practice squad until the Rams picked him up and signed him to their 53-man roster. One Viking, meanwhile, made the opposite move, going from the 53-man roster to the practice squad.
Just last week, the organization waived Redmond, but a couple of days later, his fans are delighted as the team announced his return to the practice squad.
Redmond appeared in the two wins against the Packers and the Texans, and he was credited with a sack and a tackle in the game against Green Bay.
The defender has a fascinating story, as he was a highly-touted recruit in high school, even earning an offer from University of Memphis before playing his first varsity football game. He joined Oklahoma and was set to contribute to the defense, but he was ruled out for the 2018 season because of blood clots. He ultimately returned halfway through the year, limiting him to only three games.
After a solid 2019 season, Redmond opted out of the 2020 campaign because of the blood clot issues and COVID-19. He fully returned for the 2021 and 2022 seasons and was quite productive. In four seasons and 36 contests, Redmond logged 14 sacks, 31.5 tackles for loss, and 71 total tackles.
Despite a decent scouting combine, Redmond went undrafted but signed with the Panthers right after the draft.
Carolina waived him during training camp, and it put his NFL career on pause. He then signed with the Arlington Renegades of the XFL (later the UFL), where he tabulated 4.5 sacks in only four games. The Vikings snatched him up in June, and he made the team after a strong preseason.
Minnesota’s DL group is now down to five defenders (Phillips, Bullard, Tillery, Taimani, and Rodriguez). There’s a high chance that Redmond will get the call-up on a couple of Sundays.
Redmond, 25, has the talent to continue to be a puzzle piece in Flores’ unit.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt