The Minnesota Vikings have shifted to a youth movement along the defensive line, and they’re reaping the benefits during the 2026 season.
Part of the NFL’s No. 1 defense in multiple categories, Jalen Redmond and Levi Drake Rodriguez have provided a big impact, getting pressure on the quarterback and making plays against the run to become upgrades over Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.
But the biggest impact from this shift may not be felt for a couple of seasons.
While Allen and Hargrave, who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury while playing for the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, were reliable veterans, the younger players have created sustainability in an area the Vikings needed and could make sure that their impact in the trenches isn’t going away anytime soon.
Vikings’ Pro Bowl spending didn’t lead to more impact in the trenches
The battle to find difference makers on the interior stretches back a few seasons. Harrison Phillips was a reliable player on the field and a leader off of it, and the Vikings also got a strong effort from Jonathan Bullard.
But while the two worked in Brian Flores’s scheme, they didn’t have the splash plays in the middle, which led them to let Bullard leave and trade Phillips to the Jets in favor of Hargrave and Allen.
Based on their name recognition, it was a solid move. Both were former Pro Bowlers and had a reputation as strong pass-rushers for a team that needed it. But while they were paid handsomely like many players out of the failed 2025 free agent class, they couldn’t live up to their salaries in Minnesota.
According to PFF, Hargrave logged 31 pressures and four sacks on 295 pass-rushing snaps, which equated to a 10.5 percent pressure rate. But the Vikings also wanted more out of him against the run, logging 20 stops on 238 snaps for an 8.4 percent run-stop rate.
That difference caused Hargrave to welcome a split from Flores’s scheme and seek a reunion with Jonathan Gannon, who helped him get a pair of Pro Bowl seasons during his time with the Philadelphia Eagles.
But while it looked good on paper, Hargrave recorded six pressures and no sacks on 77 pass-rushing snaps for the Green Bay Packers, including a 7.7 percent pressure rate.
Those numbers would look even worse had it not been for a four-pressure performance in Week 4 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and even if he was rounding a corner, his injury history, which included a partially torn right triceps with the San Francisco 49ers, probably would have caught up to him at some point.
Allen fell into a similar trap in Minnesota. A longtime pillar of the Washington Commanders defense, Allen performed well in Minnesota, logging 34 pressures and four sacks on 411 pass-rushing snaps for an 8.2 percent pressure rate.
His 33 run stops on 393 run-defense snaps were also good for an 8.3 percent run-stop rate, but it wasn’t enough to validate going with a cheaper option.
After signing with the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason, Allen continues to excel at rushing the passer with a 12.5 percent pressure rate and a pair of sacks on 133 pass-rushing snaps and a 9.3 percent run stop rate.
But the latter number has only come on 75 snaps, as the Bengals have looked to cover up for that flaw, and it’s provided another chance for some of the Vikings’ younger defensive tackles to take over.
Vikings have found a sustainable alternative to Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen
Redmond has been the biggest beneficiary of the shift. After breaking out with 35 pressures and six snaps on 369 pass-rushing snaps a year ago, his pressure rate has dropped from 9.4 percent to 5.8 percent.
But he continues to be a force against the run, with a 9.8 percent run-stop rate on 81 snaps so far this season.
Many expected Redmond to build on his 2025 performance this year, but the more surprising factor has been Rodriguez.
While he flashed for 11 pressures and two sacks with a 6.2 percent pressure rate on 175 snaps a year ago and added 22 run stops on 283 snaps for a 7.7 percent run-stop rate, his pass-rushing has been better this year, with seven pressures and a sack on 94 pass-rushing snaps for a 7.4 percent pressure rate.
While neither of those numbers is better than Allen or Hargrave, it’s been serviceable and comes at the cost of a $1.2 million cap hit compared to the $7.7 million cap hit Hargrave is carrying in Green Bay and the $9.7 million cap hit Allen is carrying in Cincinnati.
The biggest wild card is that the Vikings also have a pair of rookies in Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange, who are getting the benefit of developing at their own pace while Redmond and Rodriguez are filling the starting lineup.
While it may be frustrating for fans to see an impact rookie, it also shows the depth the Vikings had compared to one year ago, when they were riding a pair of veterans at the end of their prime.
At a defense that is on the older side, finding youth in the trenches is a big win, and things could get better as all four players continue to develop in place of their well-paid successors.
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