Vikings reportedly fill roster opening with intriguing former UFL defender

On Monday, the Minnesota Vikings made the decision to waive undrafted rookie wide receiver Devron Harper. The move opened up a spot on the Vikings' roster, and according to a recent report, we now know who is expected to fill that vacancy.

According to a post on X shared by KPRC-TV's Aaron Wilson, Minnesota has reportedly added former UFL defensive lineman Jalen Redmond to its 2024 roster.

Redmond was a member of the Arlington Renegades during the recent 2024 UFL season, and before that, he spent a few months with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent after he wasn't selected in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Minnesota Vikings adding an excellent athlete in Jalen Redmond

After five years at the University of Oklahoma (including one redshirt season), Redmond entered the 2023 NFL Draft as the 158th-ranked prospect on the consensus big board, according to NFLMockDraftDatabase.com.

His draft stock improved after an impressive showing at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine in which his vertical jump (34.5 inches), broad jump (116 inches), and 40-yard dash (4.81 seconds) were all among the best out of all the interior defensive linemen that participated in the event.

The 6-foot-2, 291-pound former Oklahoma defender was projected by many to come off of the board in the 2023 draft at some point on Day 3. Before the 2023 draft, NFL.com's Lance Zierlein believed he would be selected in the fifth or sixth round, and he shared the following in his scouting profile of the young defensive lineman.

"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."

Despite the projections, Redmond wound up going undrafted in 2023, but he was lucky enough to sign a UDFA deal with the Panthers. A few months after joining Carolina, he was waived with an injury settlement.

Redmond eventually found his way to the Renegades, and during the 2024 UFL season, he only appeared in four games, but he still managed to accumulate 18 tackles (five for a loss) and 4.5 sacks in his time on the field.

He clearly did enough to convince the Vikings to take a chance on him. Redmond is starting from behind since he was signed after Minnesota just wrapped up their OTAs for the year, but he'll get an opportunity to prove he deserves a spot on the team when the Vikings begin their training camp at the end of July.

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