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Does the Vikings’ Defense Have More Sizzle when a Youngster is on the Field?


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

No, we’re not talking about Dallas Turner — a separate debate. Instead, it’s defensive tackle Jalen Redmond. Does the Vikings’ defense have a bit more sizzle when he’s on the field?

Brian Flores did some excellent work in Week 10. The Jaguars aren’t exactly the ’08 Patriots, but holding a team to just 7 points — and on the road, no less — is always a welcome development. After all, Minnesota’s offense turned the ball over a trio of times, making life trickier for Flores’ crew. Calling for a massive change, then, doesn’t make a ton of sense. What could end up being beneficial is some tinkering that allows for a more pronounced role for Redmond.

Does Jalen Redmond Give The Vikings’ Defense More Sizzle?

Minnesota’s defensive tackles get cycled throughout the game, allowing the big fellas to keep their legs and lungs fresh.

At the top of the ticket is Harrison Phillips, the undisputed top option for Minnesota’s interior defensive linemen. A rugged run-stuffer, Phillips has a brain in his head and plays the game at a high level. He is up to 365 snaps. Next up for snaps is Jonathan Bullard, a sturdy defender who is in the lineup to make running the football difficult; Bullard has seen 308 snaps.

Those two have been and will continue to be fixtures for Brian Flores.

NFL: Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings
Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Third in line is Jerry Tillery, the free-agent add who is trending toward a Dean-Lowry-like fate in Minnesota. Signed to be a disruptive presence from the 3-4 defensive end spot, Tillery has failed to generate much pressure. The veteran doesn’t yet have a sack but does have 3 QB hits.

Does it make sense to offload some of Tillery’s snaps onto Redmond?

The thinking is simply that Redmond has untapped upside. At this stage, there’s a ton of NFL evidence for what Tillery is capable of doing (and not doing). Even just as a Viking, Tillery has received plenty of opportunity, soaking up 283 snaps for the defense.

His 21 snaps in Week 10 were a season low. Part of the low snap count flows from the defense not being on the field a ton, so keep in mind that he was on the field for 48% of the defense’s total. Meanwhile, Redmond was involved in just 5 snaps for the defense, which works out to 11% of the total.

NFL: London Games-Minnesota Vikings Practice
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Unlike Tillery, Redmond has offered the Vikings a sack. He also has a trio of tackles to go alongside a pair of TFLs and then a QB hit. No, he isn’t going to make anyone do a double take to see if Aaron Donald is on the field, but he has shown off some promise.

The scouting blurb on the NFL’s website pointed toward what could make him a strong player: “Redmond’s NFL Scouting Combine testing was outstanding, as he displayed quickness and explosiveness that doesn’t always show up on his college tape. He possesses plenty of toughness but moves on heavy feet. His lack of bend makes him a linear mover with limited playmaking potential. While he might not fill up an NFL stat sheet, he does have the base strength for consideration as a rotational 4-3 nose tackle with some block-eating elements to his game.”

The “outstanding […] quickness and explosiveness” should be what most interests the Vikings, especially at Jalen Redmond’s size. Standing at 6’2″ and weighing 291 pounds, Redmond looks like he could develop into a strong option as a 3T. After all, we’re talking about someone who ran a 4.81 forty while throwing up 27 reps on the bench press (both numbers are better than Tillery’s).

NCAA Football: Oklahoma at Nebraska
Sep 17, 2022; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Oklahoma Sooners defensive lineman Jalen Redmond (31) sacks Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Casey Thompson (11) during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

In four seasons playing for Oklahoma, Redmond picked up 14 sacks and 32 tackles for loss. There have been small glimpses of that production as an NFL player, enough to make one wonder if the 25-year-old defender is a diamond in the rough.

The snaps have been quite limited — just 54 defensive snaps for the season — but Redmond does have a rock-solid 79.3 grade on PFF (Tillery is down at 59.8).

Throughout the offseason and opening half of the regular season, the Minnesota Vikings have made a concerted effort to keep Jalen Redmond around. He made the initial roster and then was a priority to get tossed onto the practice squad when he got cut. Most recently, he got elevated off of the practice squad and given a spot on the 53-man roster, again pointing toward belief in his game.

When the Vikings take on the Titans in Week 11, look for #61 on the field. The young defender has the capacity to develop into a strong defender for a Vikings defense that’s 3rd in the NFL by allowing just 17.4 points against per game. Maybe a bit more push from the middle of the d-line will help Minnesota to maintain their lofty position in the defensive rankings.

Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, Sports Reference CFB, and PFF helped with this piece.


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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.




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