Minnesota Vikings: 3 Players that need to step up in Danielle Hunter’s absence

1. Ifeadi Odenigbo

The player who is going to have to step up the most on the Vikings defense wile Danielle Hunter is out for at least three weeks with a neck injury is Minnesota defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo.

Before Minnesota went out and traded for Yannick Ngakoue, Odenigbo was viewed as a breakout candidate for the Vikings on defense and was pegged as a player that will likely see the largest jump in playing time and hopefully production during the 2020 season.

Odenigbo could certainly step up and have himself a career year in 2020 with an expanded role, especially while Hunter remains out, since he has already become a nice option on the defensive line for Minnesota in his first two seasons in the league.

Odenigbo will enter his third season in the NFL and second with the Vikings in 2020 after being drafted by Minnesota in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Northwestern.

During the 2018 campaign, the 26-year-old appeared in just one game for the Arizona Cardinals, totaling one tackle. In his first year in Minnesota in 2019, however, Odenigbo played in all 16 regular-season contests in a backup role, finishing with one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, seven sacks and 23 combined tackles.

This season, Odenigbo will get an opportunity to continue to step up and expand his role, especially with the departure of veteran defensive end Everson Griffen this offseason and now without Hunter in that position as well.

And with the 2020 regular season finally upon us, Odenigbo’s time is now as he looks to become yet another solid option for the Vikings to turn to on the defensive line both this season and beyond.