The Minnesota Vikings got some exciting production out of their defensive reinforcements this past season. Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel both cleared the 11-sack hurdle and landed on the Pro Bowl roster, Blake Cashman transformed the linebacker room, and the cornerbacks Shaq Griffin and Stephon Gilmore finally solidified the secondary.
Vikings Re-Sign Their Sneaky Breakout Player
There’s one guy nobody expected to make a difference, but the underdog kept fighting for his chance and helped the Vikings win games in the second half of the season. That man is Jalen Redmond, and he will be back for another year.
The team announced on Thursday around noon, “Redmond, who was set to become an exclusive rights free agent at the start of the 2025 League Year, re-signs with the Minnesota Vikings.”
It was quite the obvious move to re-sign the defensive tackle after his play in the past couple of months.
Overall, Redmond appeared in 14 games (13 in the regular season) and started two. He produced 19 tackles, one sack, six tackles for loss. The 25-year-old played 236 defensive snaps and 60 on special teams.
All of that exceeded expectations. The first surprise was his presence on the 53-man roster after the August cutdown day. His preseason was solid but he didn’t quite jump off the screen. However, the Vikings believed in the former University of Oklahoma defender and kept him over some other candidates with some NFL experience.
Together with rookies Levi Drake Rodriguez and Taki Taimani, Redmond formed the depth for the top three: Harrison Phillips, Jonathan Bullard, and Jerry Tillery. Of the backups, Taimani got the lion’s shares of snaps early in the year but landed on IR halfway through the campaign, opening the door for Redmond to play significant snaps.
Like all Vikings, his play came a little back to earth in the last couple of weeks, but he would still rank 17th among all interior defenders if he cleared PFF’s snap minimum.
In fact, his PFF grade ranks him fourth among Vikings defenders behind only the aforementioned Greenard, as well as backup safety Theo Jackson and UDFA cornerback Dwight McGlothern.
A productive (14 sacks, 31.5 tackles for loss in 36 games) but eventful college career that had him watch almost a full season from the sidelines with blood clots and had him sit out the COVID season because of the same issue, ultimately ended with him entering the league as an undrafted rookie in 2023.
The Panthers waived him after the preseason, and he joined the UFL in 2024, recording four sacks in four games. Minnesota’s front office added him in the 2024 offseason, and he has been a secret star ever since.
The roster will undergo major changes within the next few months, so it’s hard to predict his role. It is noteworthy, though, that both veterans Bullard and Tillery are scheduled to enter free agency. Depending on the incoming free agents and rookies, there’s a chance he can compete for a spot in the rotation, perhaps even a starting role.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF and 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