The Minnesota Vikings hosted a pair of defensive linemen for tryouts Friday. One of them spent time on the Vikings roster last summer.
According to the NFL transaction wire, Minnesota invited defensive end Jonathan Harris and defensive tackle Simeon Barrow for tryouts.
Harris first joined the Vikings practice squad in late December 2024. He came back to the team on a futures contract in January 2025.
Harris then spent the entire 2025 offseason and preseason with the Vikings. He didn’t make the team’s roster in late August 2025. Harris has been a free agent since then.
Standing at 6-foot-5 and 295 pounds, the veteran defensive lineman has also experienced stints with the Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers since making his debut in 2019.
Barrow was an undrafted rookie in 2025. He spent last year’s preseason with the Atlanta Falcons.
During the regular season, Barrow had brief appearances on the Cleveland Browns and Dolphins practice squads.
Vikings Host DE Jonathan Harris for Tryout
Harris and Barrow each began their NFL careers as undrafted free agents. But the two defensive linemen are pretty different from each other.
And not just because Harris plays defensive end and Barrow focuses on defensive tackle.
Harris has 40 games of experience in the league, nine of which he started. All nine of those starts came with the Broncos from 2022-23.
In 2019, Harris made his NFL debut as a rookie. He played in two contests for the Bears and three for the Broncos in his first season.
Harris spent the 2020 season mostly on Denver’s practice squad. But he bounced back to earn a role in 2021 and eventually a starting job with the Broncos.
In parts of five seasons in Denver, Harris played 31 games for the Broncos. He registered 80 combined tackles, including six for loss with six quarterback hits. Harris also had one sack.
During 2023, he appeared in all 17 games, making five starts. he registered 43 combined tackles.
In addition to being less experienced, Barrow is smaller than Harris. Barrow stands at 6-foot-1 and 283 pounds.
At the University of Miami, Barrow made first-team All-ACC in 2024. He also played college football at Michigan State from 2020-23.
Vikings Defensive Line Depth in 2026 NFL Preseason
The Vikings will enter Saturday’s preseason contest against the Baltimore Ravens with 10 defensive linemen. That’s obviously more than the team will need for the regular season, but it’s not an abnormal amount on the roster for August.
Although they are from the same position group, Minnesota tried out two pretty different defensive linemen Friday. So if the team adds one of them, it will say something about what the Vikings valued more in free agency.
Harris offers experience and size while Barrow could have more upside and position flexibility.
On their training camp roster and unofficial depth chart, the Vikings don’t distinguish between defensive end and defensive tackle. The 10 defensive linemen on the team’s roster are Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Caleb Banks, Domonique Orange, Isaiahh Loudermilk, Elijah Williams, Taki Taimani, Smith Vilbert and Jahvaree Ritzie
The Vikings will face the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday at 12 pm CT.
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