Jalen Redmond has steadily risen to become one of the Minnesota Vikings' top defenders. He signed with the team in 2024, one year after going undrafted. The news barely registered with anyone. Now he's a key component of Brian Flores' elite defense.
But what would happen to this defense if Redmond missed time? On Vikings Collective, Alec Lewis of The Athletic wondered if Redmond is battling through an injury and just how much Minnesota would miss him if he were to be sidelined.
"Jalen Redmond, he plays with a massive pad on his arm," Lewis said. "I don't know if he's navigating something in the present, but when you watch that guy on a snap-to-snap basis, you're like, if you pull him out of this Jenga tower, then what happens?"
The trade deadline
is less than a month away, and Lewis isn't the only reporter to suggest the Vikings could be looking for an interior defensive lineman. There are holes at running back and backup tight end, so it's easy to overlook the depth at defensive line when everyone is starting every game.
But injuries affect all NFL teams, and although Minnesota's offense has been affected by them early this season, the defense has remained relatively healthy. That likely plays a significant factor in why they are playing as well as they have through five games.
Still, what happens if one of those pieces, like Redmond, goes down? Lewis believes the Vikings could get ahead of the curve by addressing that potential hole.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Vikings' Jalen Redmond is becoming a big piece to the defense
