The Minnesota Vikings are now expected to release their prized defensive tackle additions one year removed from big free-agency deals. Earlier in the week, it was reported that Javon Hargrave would be released, and now Jonathan Allen will follow.
So, with the duo now set to depart, it’s reasonable to think that the Vikings would use their first-round pick on a potential replacement up front. And yet, despite the fire sale along the defensive front, there’s probably still a better use of early draft capital for Minnesota.
The Vikings need to replace 1,348 snaps at defensive tackle, and even before the recent cuts, it was highlighted as a position of need in the draft. Had Hargrave and Allen remained on the team, at ages 33 and 31, respectively, they would’ve been at the tail end of their careers anyway. But while it’s now obvious that Jalen Redmond needs a running mate or two, defensive tackle is one of the few positions on the Vikings that actually has legitimate depth.
Between Levi Drake Rodriguez, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, and Jaylon Hutchings, Minnesota has a strong pool of guys who may be ready to make the jump up into a sizable role. Rodriguez and Ingram-Dawkins showed flashes in 2025, and Hutchings might be Redmond 2.0. The Canadian Football League star notched eight sacks and 56 total pressures from the interior last year, all while being double-teamed nearly 60% of the time.
The CFL pipeline served the Vikings well with Redmond, and maybe another diamond has been unearthed in Hutchings. If not, Rodriguez and Ingram-Dawkins in rotational roles isn’t too shabby. Who would’ve thought that in less than a year, Harrison Phillips, Hargrave, and Allen would be sent away in favor of a couple of guys picked up from Canada?
There should be another addition or two to the room, but to immediately jump to the conclusion that the Vikings have to go with a defensive tackle early in the draft is flawed. Money is still tight, and considering Minnesota is just one injury at cornerback away from needing to start a suburban dad in cargo shorts, their draft goals shouldn’t change after setting Hargrave and Allen free.
Mock drafts have regularly tied the Vikings to defensive tackles Peter Woods and Caleb Banks at pick No. 18, and those murmurs will almost certainly grow to a roar now. While either of those players could be nice fits, there are more dire needs on defense. If it were a poor draft to target players in the secondary, maybe that’s another story. Still, there’s likely to be multiple cornerbacks or safeties when Minnesota is on the clock.
Mansoor Delane, Avieon Terrell, Colton Hood, Jermod McCoy, Dillon Thieneman, and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren could all be possible options in the secondary for Minnesota at No. 18. It’s not always the best choice to draft for need over best available. However, with this long list of names, the Vikings may not have to choose. The bottom line is that the wealth of talent at cornerback and safety early in the draft makes this decision even easier.
In the current room, cornerbacks Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers are fine enough, but Minnesota significantly benefited from them staying healthy for all 17 games last year. It’s tough to imagine what any significant stretch of games with Jeff Okudah and Fabian Moreau on the boundary would have looked like. However, there’s a small chance the Vikings add anyone in free agency that’s near a starter level, simply due to their lack of funds to address a premium position. Drafting a cornerback in the first round should be, and thankfully likely is, the highest priority for the Vikings.
The cuts of Allen and Hargrave, combined with the potential for a Jonathan Greenard trade, raise major question marks up front for Minnesota. Still, Redmond and the emergence of Dallas Turner mitigate those somewhat, while the concerns of depth at cornerback and safety are much more worrisome. Maybe, just maybe, Harrison Smith returns for one final ride. Or maybe, just maybe, the suburban dad’s trick knee doesn’t act up. But if the Vikings can still go best available and address a crucial need in the secondary, there’s really no reason to avoid it.
Minnesota’s free agent spending spree last year is now a disaster class in how not to manage your money. However, thankfully, the Vikings lucked into some solid depth players at defensive tackle. It wouldn’t be the worst thing to try and add a future star at the position in the draft, but the risk of not having a contingency plan in the secondary is too great to ignore. Minnesota needs to stick to the plan and give a raise to whatever pro scout has been watching Calgary Stampeders football.
