Where the Vikings Lost 1,348 Snaps (and How to Replace ‘Em)
Maybe predictably, the decision was to move on from Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Doing so saves precious cap space, but the Vikings lost 1,348 snaps by moving on.
Part of the solution rests in rallying around Jalen Redmond, a recent recipient of a pay boost. What needs to be remembered, though, is that he can only get leaned on so much. After all, Redmond was around last season, playing 793 snaps across his seventeen games, working out to 74% of the total for Brian Flores. How can the Vikings address the vacated playing time?
The Vikings Lost 1,348 Snaps at DT
Brian Flores leaned on his well-paid veterans plenty last season.
Mr. Allen was deployed as a complete, three-down player. Starting all seventeen games, Mr. Allen climbed up to 811 snaps on defense, good for 76% of the total. Meanwhile, Hargrave was slotted into a less prominent role while participating in sixteen games, starting fifteen. He came in at 537 snaps, good for 53% of the total for the defense.
At present, Minnesota appears happy to roll out a full youth movement at defensive tackle, an odd pivot given recent history. Coach Flores has been leading the defense since 2023, leaning on DT talent such as Allen, Hargrave, Harrison Phillips, Jerry Tillery, Jonathan Bullard, Jihad Ward, and Dean Lowry.
Disrupting the trend has been Jalen Redmond, the excellent defender who has overcome much to solidify himself as the DT1 in Minnesota. He’s journeying into his third NFL season and is coming in at 27, firmly within his prime.
Next up is some combination of Levi Drake Rodriguez, Tyler Batty, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Taki Taimani, Elijah Williams, Jaylon Hutchings, and whoever may get added in what remains of free agency, the 2026 NFL Draft, and then among the UDFA talent.
Last season, Rodriguez soaked up 461 snaps, which isn’t too far off the amount that Hargrave offered. He appears capable of taking on more work. He is 25.
Meanwhile, Ingram-Dawkins quietly tossed up 250 snaps in a depth role during his rookie season. The 2025 5th-Round selection has a nice build to be a DE within a 3-4 defense. Still only 22, Ingram Dawkins has potential aplenty.
At minimum, these two should be expected to take a larger bite out of the pie in the upcoming season since they’re the pair who have proven the most.
Speculation exists about who else could get tossed into the mix.
Opting for a mercenary could involve bringing Calais Campbell to town, a tremendously imposing player who is a great leader. Alternatively, a different veteran could get tossed into the mix on a single-season deal to shore up the depth.
Maybe the No. 18 pick goes toward someone who can help immediately. If so, note that Minnesota has tended to lean toward young, versatile players coming out of major college programs with high picks from recent drafts. Applying that criteria makes a name like Kayden McDonald — the 21-year-old DT who played at Ohio State — jump off the page.
Playing a game tonight would mean a starting twosome consisting of Jalen Redmond and Levi Drake Rodriguez. Quite possibly, that’s a pair that can do damage in 2026, but Minnesota seems very likely to make at least a single meaningful move to reinforce the spot before training camp.
At minimum, the in-house young fellas — Redmond, Rodriguez, Ingram-Dawkins, and others — appear capable of taking a good bite out of the roughly 1,400 snaps that were lost. There may yet be a deficit, though, that needs to be filled.
The online estimate from OTC has the Vikings sitting on close to $6 million in cap space.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
