Analyst not a fan of the Bengals signing a former Vikings DL

The departure of several key players on the Vikings' defensive line has the unit looking different heading into the 2026 NFL Draft. They signed several key players, such as Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, last season, and yet they moved on from them in part due to the emergence of Jalen Redmond.

However, the Vikings' loss is someone else's gain as both men found homes quickly in free agency. Enough time has passed, and now analysts like ESPN's Seth Walder are giving their final grades on the moves.

As it relates to the signing of Jonathan Allen, Walder gave it a D rating. He explains it all, writing, "A year ago, I handed the Vikings a D+ for signing Allen to an expensive contract shortly after he had been cut by the Commanders, a deal that called for him to make $16.2 million in 2025 and fully guaranteed $8 million of his $17 million in cash due in 2026. Now this year, the Vikings cut Allen after a lackluster first season in Minnesota, and the Bengals are going to pick up some of the tab and then some. Allen's numbers last season were not great: 3.5 sacks, a 32nd percentile pass rush win rate at defensive tackle (despite being double-teamed at a lower-than-average rate) and a 24th percentile run stop win rate."

So the grade is a slight improvement from the D+ the Vikings got last year, so there is that. The move was one the Vikings did seem to regret right away, so it is going to be interesting to see how it unfolds for the Bengals who drastically need defense more than ever.

This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: NFL Free Agency: Jonathan Allen not helping the Bengals with grade