Would it be an overreaction to say that Jalen Redmond has been a breakout player? The defensive tackle was far from a lock to get onto the roster. Not only is he on the team, but Redmond has emerged as a starter over these past couple of weeks. Breakout could be an appropriate descriptor.
The bad news for Redmond is simply that he got removed from the Week 15 win over the Bears due to concerns about a concussion. Kevin O’Connell addressed the situation at a recent press conference, explaining that there’s still a chance that Redmond gets into the game in Seattle. In fact, the impression one gets from listening to O’Connell speak is that there’s some optimism surrounding Redmond’s status even if the injury is indeed being taken seriously.
Kevin O’Connell, Jalen Redmond, & Week 16
Before going too far, what O’Connell had to say.
Kick it over to the head coach: “Jalen Redmond very late in the game did get kind of identified by the independent [doctor] and was put into the concussion protocol, but did come in feeling really good today. So he’ll go through that protocol throughout the week and hoping to have him available, but that’ll be strictly a medical thing as he works through that.”
The portion about “feeling really good” is what inspires some hope that things are relatively minor. Or, at least, that things are progressing well.
For a little while, I’ve been writing about Mr. Redmond, telling anyone within earshot that he has the ability to fortify a position of weakness for the Vikings.
Redmond possesses an ideal build to function as an NFL 3T, standing at 6’2″ and weighing 291 pounds. Even more impressive is that he ran a blistering 4.81 forty while tossing up 27 reps on the bench press, suggesting that he offers an intriguing blend of size, speed, and strength. Even still, Redmond went undrafted.
The Panthers opportunity didn’t work out and then there was some success in the UFL. Fast forward into the 2024 season and Redmond is playing strong football. Recently, he took down Jerry Tillery for a spot in the starting lineup, lining up next to Harrison Phillips and Jonathan Bullard as the initial trio of defensive linemen.
In eleven games, Redmond has snagged 161 snaps on defense. Keep in mind that the recent workload had seen a major increase. He played 39 defensive snaps and then 27 defensive snaps across these past two games, an increase that speaks to his new job as a starter.
Even better, Jalen Redmond is playing well inside the increased opportunity. PFF gives him a sizzling 86.9 grade for the season in its entirety. Two games ago, Redmond picked up a 69.7 grade, 6th-best for Minnesota; a game ago, Redmond picked up a 79.2 grade, tied for 3rd-best for Minnesota.
The season has involved Redmond earning 15 tackles, 1 sack, 6 tackles for loss, 2 passes defended, and 1 QB hit. Kevin O’Connell’s team is better when Redmond is in the lineup. But, of course, whether he’s able to play in Seattle will come down to showing that he’s fully healthy from the concussion issue, something that should be taken very seriously.
Minnesota’s defense currently ranks 4th overall in the NFL by averaging just 18 points against per game. Most of the credit goes to the defensive coordinator — the brilliant Brian Flores — alongside several marquee starters: Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Blake Cashman, Josh Metellus, Byron Murphy, and several others.
The emergence of Jalen Redmond, though, has been part of the mix, as well. Getting penetration from along the defensive line has led to an unexpected boost that makes Flores’ crew even more potent.
