There were a lot of questions regarding the Minnesota Vikings' decision to trade defensive tackle Harrison Phillips to the New York Jets last month. This put a ton of pressure on third-year defensive tackle Jalen Redmond to step up. He certainly lived up to those expectations and more.
The breakout game Vikings fans have been waiting for from Redmond came in their Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Redmond dominated with six tackles, two tackles for loss, two pressures, one quarterback hit, and one sack.
One tough part of the game was late in the fourth quarter, as Redmond was called for a Neutral Zone Infraction on 4th-and-1 at the Minnesota one-yard line. The Falcons took it in the end zone in two plays to seal the win.
Outside of that play, Redmond was as good as any player on the team on Sunday.
Jalen Redmond is one bright spot for Minnesota Vikings in tough loss to Atlanta Falcons
All that strength that Vikings fans thought they would be losing from Phillips is in Redmond. What's even better is that Redmond is as good a pass rusher as there is at the tackle position.
He got a chance to truly showcase his abilities when he was in the United Football League with the Arlington Renegades in 2024. Redmond was leading the league in sacks in the first half of that season with five before suffering a season-ending injury.
That was still good enough for the Vikings to take a chance on the young defender as he defied the odds and made the roster last year. In 13 games, Redmond racked up 18 tackles, six tackles for loss, two pass deflections, one quarterback hit, and one sack.
Redmond has definitely benefited from learning alongside Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave since they joined the team in the offseason. The development of Redmond has gone by faster than many thought when he was signed in Minnesota.
Allen and Hargrave are nearing the twilight of their careers, and the Vikings need to start thinking about the future. Redmond certainly looks like a guy who can take the mantle when the time comes and become one of the top guys in Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores' scheme.