With the 2026 NFL Draft rapidly approaching, a number of teams around the league are making some small roster moves to put themselves in the best position possible for whatever surprises may arise during this year's festivities. Those festivities, of course, kick off with Round 1 on Thursday night in Pittsburgh.
The Minnesota Vikings, who currently own the No. 18 overall pick on Thursday, were among the teams making moves this week, as it was announced on Tuesday that the team has cut ties with interior defensive lineman Jaylon Hutchings, who was signed to a reserve/futures contract back in January.
But that could be a short-term arrangement.
Jaylon Hutchings has high upside and could be back with Minnesota Vikings after NFL Draft
For those unfamiliar, Hutchings went undrafted in 2024 after six years at Texas Tech (yes, we said six), and the reasoning behind that could be the fact that he suffered a knee injury in the Red Raiders' home finale in 2023, which required surgery and forced him to miss the regular-season finale at Texas and the Independence Bowl against Cal. Prior to that, though, he was as reliable as can be, making 57 consecutive starts.
The 6-foot, 304-pounder ultimately signed as an undrafted free agent with the Chicago Bears after 2024 training camps had begun, but he lasted just over two weeks before being waived.
With no NFL offers at his disposal, Hutchings signed with the CFL's Calgary Stampeders but didn't make much noise in his two appearances. The 2025 campaign was different, however, as he suited up for 18 games and earned CFL All-Star honors after posting 8.0 sacks, good for a tie for fifth in the league.
He was given the chance to work out for both the Vikings and the Cleveland Browns earlier this year, and, as mentioned, he ultimately signed a reserve/futures contract with Minnesota.
Shortly after Hutchings was released, KSTP's Darren Wolfson reported that the 26-year-old is dealing with some sort of injury, so perhaps that's what prompted the release. But he also left the door open for a potential return, opining that the team could re-evaluate once the dust from the draft settles.
If you haven't seen Hutchings play, this guy has high upside, and there were plenty of people excited about him when he signed a few months back.
Some even compared him to Jalen Redmond, and while I personally wouldn't go that far, he's got some violent hands and a fantastic spin move off the line.
He's not a starter by any stretch at this point, but he could provide some solid depth, so this is certainly a situation worth monitoring over the next few weeks.
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