The Minnesota Vikings failed to live up to expectations in the 2025 season. That was especially true on the offensive […]
The Minnesota Vikings failed to live up to expectations in the 2025 season. That was especially true on the offensive side of the ball, while the defense carried the operation to a 9-8 record. On that defense, several players experienced breakout seasons. An unsung hero is defensive tackle Jalen Redmond, who’s slowly generating some national buzz.
The latest evidence of his upward trajectory is a list compiled from PFF analyst Zach Tantillo, who named a secret superstar for every team. Redmond got the nod on the purple team.
Tantillo explained the idea: “Every NFL season produces stars who dominate highlight reels and award ballots, but just as often, some of the league’s most impactful players operate in relative obscurity. Whether it’s because of their position, draft pedigree or the situation around them, these contributors consistently win their matchups and drive results without national recognition — the players we call secret superstars.”
Lineman Redmond certainly fits that premise.
The PFF analyst wrote about the two-year Viking, “Redmond emerged as one of the Vikings’ most reliable interior defenders in 2025. He earned a 73.5 PFF overall grade, ranking third among Minnesota defenders. He was especially dominant against the run, where his 30 run stops, 1.46-yard average depth of tackle, and 19.4% positively graded play rate all ranked second-best on the defense.”
After flashing in 2024 and entering the offseason as a potential breakout candidate, Redmond became something of an afterthought by the time training camp arrived. The Vikings had previously signed Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen to the roster, pairing them with veteran Harrison Phillips.
Redmond was in the second tier of interior defenders, competing for snaps with other young defenders, like sophomore Levi Drake Rodriguez and rookie Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins.
When Phillips was surprisingly traded to the New York Jets in August, the door opened for Redmond. A few games into the season, he even solidified himself as the best interior defender on the team.
Redmond appeared in all 17 games, logging 15 starts. In his breakthrough campaign, the defender out of Oklahoma recorded six sacks, 62 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, five passes defended and a forced fumble.
He became a constant disruption, capable of blowing up plays at any moment. Several announcers reported that opposing coaches and players often mentioned Redmond as a scary defender in their production meetings.
His teammates knew that he could do more than just be a rotational guy. Jonathan Greenard pounded the table for him in training camp, “Oh, J-Red is a dawg. J-Red [has been] a dawg since last year in camp. I knew he was a dawg when he got thrown out of practice last year in camp.”
In his first season with the Vikings in 2024, Redmond played in 13 regular-season games, logging 18 tackles, one sack, and six tackles for loss. He did that damage in only 208 defensive snaps.
Greenard added, “From that day forward, he got thrown out, he came back in, and was just completely dominating guys. And at that point, even to see it during the season and see him just continuously build … everyone knew he had another gear, but when you bring two guys like [Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen], you think he gets put on the wayside or anything like that, or he gets behind. No, that brother is right there making the same plays he was last year, if not more.”
Then, the 2024 Pro Bowler also had a suggestion for Brian Flores and his staff: “If I’m the coach, I’m putting him in.”
His take aged pretty well over the last five months. Redmond has shown that he can be a building block for the defense moving forward. His contract is set to expire, but he’ll be an exclusive rights free agent, meaning the Vikings have full control if they want to, and they surely do. He’ll undoubtedly be on the team beyond March’s free agency period.
Redmond, who went undrafted, was cut by the Carolina Panthers and went the spring league route, has established himself as a player even casual observers should recognize. After taking the long road to relevance, it’s fitting that the 26-year-old is finally starting to get the recognition his play deserves.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
