Days before the 2026 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings are releasing a defensive tackle they signed to a reserve contract in January — Jaylon Hutchings.
NFL insider Aaron Wilson reported on X the Vikings cut Hutchings on Tuesday.
As Wilson indicated, most of Hutchings professional football success has come in the Canadian Football League. He also spent a brief time with the Chicago Bears during 2024 training camp after becoming an undrafted free agent.
During the 2024 draft process, Hutchings received praise for some of his physical traits and natural instincts.
“He’s very instinctive when it comes to countering and solid with overall hand usage,” wrote NFL Draft Buzz. “Flashes enough quickness off the snap to threaten gaps at three-technique, especially when slanting.
College football writer Bruce Feldman included the defensive lineman on his annual “Freak’s List” prior to Hutchings final college season.
“A 6-0, 295-pound strong man who was once a nifty high school running back, now he’s got a 500-pound bench, a 700-pound squat, but he has been clocked at 18 miles per hour,” wrote Feldman.
Vikings Release DT Jaylon Hutchings: Report
GettyFormer Texas Tech defensive lineman Jaylon Hutchings.
Because of a redshirt freshman campaign and an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hutchings spent six years at Texas Tech. While playing 61 college games, he posted 193 combined tackles, including 26 tackles for loss and 11 sacks.
He also had two forced fumbles, one pass defense and a fumble recovery.
Arguably Hutchings’s best statistical season came in his final year when he had 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 2023.
That along with his freakish athletic traits, though, weren’t enough to get Hutchings drafted.
“While Hutchings has violent hands, he uses them too inconsistently,” wrote NFL Draft Buzz. “Hutchings tends to let blockers get into his chest, and he’ll waste time hand fighting due to a limited array of pass rush moves.”
Hutchings also received negative reviews for his inconsistency shedding blocks and inability to change directions on counter moves.
The Bears signed Hutchings as an undrafted free agent but not until August 11. Chicago waived him a few weeks later toward the end of the preseason on August 26.
In October of that year, Hutchings signed with the Calgary Stampeders. During the 2025 campaign, the defensive lineman made the CFL All-Star roster.
“Hutchings made 17 starts and led all CFL defensive tackles this season with eight sacks,” wrote the Stampeders.com staff. “He also had 39 defensive tackles including three tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble and two knockdowns.”
Vikings Defensive Line Depth Entering 2026 NFL Draft
Before his release, Hutchings was one of six defensive linemen on the Vikings offseason roster. The five remaining are Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, Taki Taimani and Elijah Williams.
That group is trying to replace Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Both were salary cap casualties early in the offseason.
Redmond and Rodriguez will likely get the first opportunities at filling those holes.
The Vikings could also add more defensive line depth in the 2026 NFL Draft. That’s probably likely to happen with Hutchings off the roster.
Minnesota holds nine selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, including four on the first two days.
Vikings Part Ways With Quick, Strong Lineman: Report