Vikings Scoop Up a New Pass Rusher for the DT Spot
The Vikings scooped up defensive tackle Jalen Redmond a couple of seasons ago, a decision that has aged tremendously well. Any chance the team just signed another diamond in the rough?
Per league insider Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the Vikings have yet again gone to a rival football league for defensive line talent. Looking toward the CFL — the Canadian Football League — led to uncovering DT Jaylon Hutchings. Wilson’s word: “#Vikings signing @CFL @calstampeders defensive tackle Jaylon Hutchings @TexasTechFB to reserve-future deal, per a league source.”
Vikings Scoop Up DT Jaylon Hutchings
Standing at 6’0″ and 304 pounds, Mr. Hutchings has a powerful build.
The concern with being a touch shorter than most d-linemen is having short arms. In theory, a long guard or center could get his mitts onto Hutchings quickly, slowing down the d-lineman’s attempts to win within the trenches. But, to be sure, there are benefits to being a touch shorter, such as being capable of winning the leverage battle. Low man wins, as coaches are keen to point out.
In college, Hutchings offered his play for Texas Tech.
Overall, the numbers are reasonably promising. He had 44 tackles alongside 3.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss in 2023. Kick it back to 2022 and he boasted 50 tackles alongside 1.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss. Not vintage Aaron Donald, but some signs of promise.
Most recently, Hutchings has been offering his services to the Calgary Stampeders. On 3 Down Nation, John Hodge covers some of what the impressive DT accomplished during the most recent season: “Hutchings recorded 39 defensive tackles, eight sacks, and one forced fumble over 17 regular-season CFL games in 2025, his first season as a starter with the Stamps. The six-foot, 304-pound pass rusher was named All-CFL and was the top-graded defensive player in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.”
And some of the background surrounding Jaylon Hutchings in the NFL: “Hutchings signed with the Bears as an undrafted free agent, but was released late in training camp by Chicago. He worked out for the Minnesota Vikings and the Cleveland Browns this offseason, resulting in a contract for 2026.”
Within his UDFA contract, Hutchings didn’t secure any guaranteed money. He flew under the radar even among the undrafted talent.
As things stand, there’s a lot of focus on who the Vikings could lose in free agency. So, too, is there ample discussion about the possibility of losing Brian Flores. Goodness, there’s also consideration of the various passer possibilities to support J.J. McCarthy (Kevin O’Connell didn’t fully extinguish talk of needing someone else at QB).
Lost in the shuffle is the move for Hutchings. Can he make a name for himself in the NFL in the same way that he did in the CFL?
Consider what Janik Eckardt of PurplePTSD had to say of the matter: “On the current roster, the Vikings have Redmond and the two veterans, Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Those two have lucrative deals the Vikings might want to ditch in the next few weeks and months, given the current cap crunch […] Hutchings will join that group, hoping to follow a similar developmental path to Redmond’s over the last two seasons.”
Indeed, seeing Mr. Hutchings come somewhere close to replicating what Redmond has done will mean that the Vikings did incredibly well. The defensive tackle dominated against lesser competition and has evidently been working on his craft. A full offseason to keep chipping away at the finer details of collapsing the pocket could lead to good things in the NFL.
Jaylon Hutchings is 26.
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