Film review: These three Vikings made critical progress during a disappointing season

Say it’s the holiday spirit that has inspired this respite from hammering quarterback growing pains.

Let’s try to end 2025 on a positive note.

Two other first-round picks (not named J.J. McCarthy) and a former XFL defender were among the bright spots for an otherwise disappointing Vikings season.

Winner of “Most Improved” goes to ...

Defensive tackle Jalen Redmond. The 26-year-old Redmond was two months removed from the XFL’s Arlington Renegades in 2024 when he was thrown out of a Vikings practice in his first training camp for fighting.

A year later, Redmond has been the best interior defender on a team that spent about $36 million guaranteed to sign veterans Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.

A relative bargain at $960,000, Redmond has been one of the most disruptive defensive tackles in the NFL.

Only the Eagles’ 336-pound Jordan Davis has amassed more run stops than Redmond (29), according to Pro Football Focus, while his pass-rushing production (35 pressures) ranks in the top third at his position.

“Whenever you have a guy who can rush the passer and play the run,” Allen said of Redmond, “that’s a dangerous combination.”

Redmond replaced Harrison Phillips in the starting lineup, playing mostly as a run stopper on base downs. He earned an every-down role by the Week 6 bye, after which he played no less than 70% of defensive snaps. Only Allen has played more than Redmond’s 766 snaps (75%) for Minnesota’s interior.

Defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ blitz-happy schemes force many shallow and deflectable throws. When Redmond doesn’t generate pressure, he has the anticipation to disrupt throwing lanes. He ranks third among NFL interior defenders with five batted passes on his way to becoming a preferred option for Flores, the Vikings’ veteran defensive play caller.

“I’m proud of the way he’s kind of developed,” Flores said of Redmond. “How important it is, how urgent he is to develop, how he’s kind of stepping into a — or finding his voice as a leader. I think he’s earned the respect of his teammates and really everybody in this building.”

Jackson, the 24th overall pick out of Ohio State in April, immediately impressed in his first game on Sept. 8 in Chicago. A wrist injury the following week against Atlanta undercut his first month. He played through it for a week, had surgery and missed two games. Coaches noted some rust upon returning against Philadelphia’s phenom defensive tackle Jalen Carter.

He had a tough night in Los Angeles in the Oct. 23 loss, but his next eight games set a trajectory that has excited his coaches and teammates.

He missed a third game, the Week 13 shutout loss in Seattle, because of an ankle injury suffered in Green Bay, where Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons rolled into the back of his legs. Jackson still made an impression by not missing much time and playing through injury. His 728 offensive snaps (98%) trail only guard Will Fries and receiver Justin Jefferson on the team.

“He’s played really consistent for us all year long,” coach Kevin O’Connell said in November. “The best part about him is if something gets him or he gets beat on something, or he’s got to be a little altering to his technique in the run game or the pass game, he ... doesn’t need Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday; he’ll do it in game.”

Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips echoed that Jackson is a “highly intelligent” player.

Jackson showed the ability to rally within a play if he loses the initial contact with a pass rusher. He doesn’t lose quickly very often. He’s also been a strong reach blocker on perimeter runs, but he can work on maintaining contact and channeling his power into moving people.

In this three-play cutup of Jackson’s pass protection, you’ll see two examples of his vision against D-line twists. Not all young guards can lock on to one defender, recognize a stunt and pivot like Jackson consistently did as a rookie. The third play shows Jackson’s patience against the Cowboys’ Osa Odighizuwa — a $20 million-per-year defensive tackle — and not oversetting to his left as Odighizuwa starts with a wide alignment but slants inside.

Rams edge rusher Jared Verse, drafted two spots after the Vikings took edge rusher Dallas Turner with the 17th overall pick in 2024, just made his second straight Pro Bowl.

I can’t say I’ve watched many Rams games this year, so fair warning to take this with a grain of salt.

The numbers show Verse and Turner had pretty similar years as pass rushers with 17.1% and 16.8% pressure rates that were above-average marks for front-seven defenders, according to Sports Info Solutions. They turned that pressure into sacks at similarly modest rates, too, with Verse’s 6½ sacks compared to Turner’s 6.0 sacks.

Turner began the year in a part-time role behind Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. But Van Ginkel’s neck injury vaulted Turner into five straight starts. He didn’t stay there. By Oct. 23 against the Chargers, linebacker Eric Wilson had started taking some reps away from him as a more physical, edge-setting run defender.

Once again, an injury — this time to Greenard’s shoulder on Nov. 9 vs. Baltimore — moved Turner into a more prominent role. He’s responded well in the past seven games. Overall, Turner has played 665 defensive snaps (65%). He tied his season high with five pressures against Lions quarterback Jared Goff in the Dec. 25 victory over Detroit. He’s shown some variety in his pass-rushing moves, but this is still an area to grow.

“With young players, everybody wants it right now,” Flores said. “Most guys, it takes time. It takes time to learn the defense, to learn techniques and fundamentals, learn the things that you do well individually, because I think every player has to play to their strengths. I think Dallas is starting to figure that out. I think he’s really working hard at it. ... It’s a lot of the little things that aren’t as splashy that he’s also doing well.

In the four-play cutup below, you’ll see a few key facets of Turner’s game. The first illustrates his mental growth, executing a pre-snap adjustment that has him flare out to the flat upon seeing the Bears’ motion to his side. This is a check that Flores’ defenses ran against Ben Johnson’s offenses in Detroit and Chicago. But it requires the edge rusher to recognize the formation and motion, and to adjust their assignment. The next snaps show Turner’s pass rushes: a long-arm power rush vs. Bears left tackle Theo Benedet (without the finish) and a speed rush with a rip move on Seahawks left tackle Charles Cross. The last play shows his biggest area for improvement: strength vs. the run. He takes on a pulling Giants guard and helps close the lane during a run stop. He’s been a better edge setter in Year 2, but the 22-year-old Turner still has more room to grow physically.