Minnesota Vikings: Danielle Hunter emerging as an elite pass rusher
By Joe Kipp
In the midst of a breakout campaign, Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter is quickly rising to elite status.
Danielle Hunter’s rise to being the NFL’s sack leader through six weeks has been nothing short of impressive. The Minnesota Vikings defensive end has already recorded seven sacks on the season, showing he has the tools to be one of the league’s elite pass rushers in the process.
When you think of an elite pass rusher, you probably think of Von Miller, Khalil Mack, Myles Garrett, Chandler Jones and others. You’re certainly not wrong. There’s one thing that Hunter has in common with all of those players: crazy athleticism.
Hunter has the burst of a wide receiver, the strength of a defensive tackle, the size of a tight end, and the fast twitch needed in an edge defender. Combined, he has all of the prerequisites to be one of the best — and we’re seeing it unfold this season.
Drafted in the third round of the 2015 draft, Hunter was always seen as an athletic freak. He put on a show at the NFL Combine, registering a 4.57-second 40-yard-dash, the fastest among all defensive linemen at the combine. He also jumped 36.5 inches in the vertical leap and put up 25 reps on the bench press. At 6-5 and 252 pounds, Hunter was seen as a prototypical pass rusher, but still a project, no less.
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And that was the biggest knock on him coming out of college; he relied far too much on his crazy athletic traits. Many scouts noted that he had a high-motor and excellent effort in his play, but that he lacked the proper technique and instincts that it would take to be a productive player right out of the gate. Some even said it looked as though he was ‘thinking’ too much about his pass rush moves.
It didn’t take long for him to see the field though. What Hunter lacked in technique he made up for with pure athletic ability. He basically lined up against opposing offensive tackles and said, ‘I’m going to beat you with pure speed and power’.
In his first career start in Week 6 of the 2015 season, Hunter generated four tackles, a half-sack and a forced fumble. He ended his rookie season with 10 tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits, six sacks and a forced fumble. At the end of the season he was named to the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie Team.
The following season in 2016, Hunter wreaked even more pressure on opposing quarterbacks by generating a team-best 12.5 sacks, along with 19 quarterback hits and a forced fumble. The season after, he had a “down” year by only racking up seven sacks and 11 quarterback hits. It was also his first season as a full-time starter.
Fast forward to 2018, and it appears Hunter has finally reached his breaking point. So far this season, he’s recorded a sack in every game and has shown no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Entering Week 7, he was tied for the league-lead in sacks with seven total. To complement, he’s also claimed nine quarterback hits.
His breakout season couldn’t have come at a better time, either. With fellow pass rusher and three-time Pro Bowler Everson Griffen taking a leave of absence from the team due to mental health reasons, the brunt of the work has fallen on Hunter’s shoulders. He hasn’t back down yet.
Perhaps the scariest part about his game (at least, for his opponents’ sake) is that he’s still in the process of putting it all together. All seven of Hunter’s sacks have come on either a speed rush or from pure power. Not to say his pass rush moves haven’t been impressive, but he still has much to work on. Although he’s been pretty effective with his hand fighting, there’s still plenty of room for improvement in several other areas of his game.
Perhaps the biggest plus for Hunter is his age. Set to turn 24 years old on Oct. 29, the sky is limit for the young edge defender. In fact, Hunter joined an elite group of pass rushers this past Sunday by recording his 30th career sack against the Arizona Cardinals.
Below are the eight players with at least 30 sacks before turning 24 years old, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
- Shawne Merriman, Chargers, 39.5 sacks
- Aldon Smith, 49ers, 38
- Robert Quinn, Rams, 34.5
- Terrell Suggs, Ravens, 33.5
- Danielle Hunter, Vikings, 30.5
- Mario Williams, Texans, 30.5
- Von Miller, Broncos, 30
- Derrick Thomas, Chiefs, 30
Hunter is currently tied for the fifth-most sacks by a player before turning age 24. It might be a stretch to get to 40 sacks and take over first place, but Hunter still has three games before he turns 24. It’s certainly not out of the question.
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The biggest takeaway from Hunter’s first six games is that he’s only getting better. Although he’s still relying on his athleticism to win the majority of his reps, he’s been extremely effective in his productivity. There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that if he continues the path he’s on, Hunter could easily be one of the top five pass rushers in the NFL in due time.