Danielle Hunter: The Hunt for Michael Johnson 2.0
Carl Knowles
|
Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer was unsuccessfully in his overtures to sign defensive end Michael Johnson during free agency over the past two off-seasons.
Johnson had his best seasons when he played under Zimmer in Cincinnati the first five years of his NFL career. The Vikings wanted him as a pass rushing complement to Everson Griffen and Brian Robison. However, with a lucrative offer in hand from the Vikings, Johnson ultimately left Minnesota with his heart set on returning to Cincinnati.
Zimmer must now look to the draft if he wants to add a “Michael Johnson like” pass rusher to his defensive arsenal.
One DE draft prospect whose stock is on the rise based on a similar freakish combination of size, athleticism and agility is LSU’s Danielle Hunter. At 6’5” 252 pounds and 34 1/4 arms, Hunter has the length Zimmer covets. A 40-yard dash time of 4.57, a bench press of 25, a three-cone time of 6.95 and a 36 1/2 vertical jump has scouts taking closer look at his game tape.
cbssports.com currently has Hunter ranked as the 50th overall prospect, with this profile comment.
“His exciting combination of length, balance, awareness and agility helped him make plays against the run and pass. Hunter shows surprising strength at the point of attack and is passionate in pursuit. Gets his hands up in the passing lanes when he can’t get to the quarterback and knocks down passes. He’s aggressive and physical and shows a willingness to sacrifice his body uncommon for edge players with his body type.”
From the tape I’ve seen, Hunter’s long arms can certainly pack a punch. When technique is right, he can stack and overpower tackles with a solid bull rush. He flashes a good spin move when rushing the passer and great movement skills with a non-stop motor to pursue and chase down ball carriers which helps him rack up high end tackle production. Hunter lead all SEC defensive linemen in “stuffs” (tackles for no gain or loss of yards) with 17. He is active and energetic at all times.
The drawback is he only had 1.5 sacks last season and 4.5 total for his career. He is inconsistent off the snap, and too often is the last LSU defender to move off the ball which is surprising based on his outstanding quickness.
Like Michael Johnson was, Hunter too is considered a raw talent with just one and a half years of college starting experience under his belt entering the draft.
Johnson’s pre-draft ranking was top 50-ish on many boards… and some thought his size and athletic ability could land him as high as the the first round. The Cincinnati Bengals ultimately drafted Johnson in the third round with the 70th over all pick in 2009. Much like Johnson, I suspect Hunter will fall past his draft ranking and land in the mid-rounds to a team willing to fine tune some technique and rawness issues.
NFL.com adds this insight about Hunter’s potential.
“The concern with Hunter is that his pass-rush instincts are marginal and he hasn’t learned to use his physical advantages to rush the quarterback more consistently. Hunter’s floor is high thanks to his overwhelming physical traits and motor, but his ceiling will only go as high as the level of coaching he is able to incorporate.”
Could Zimmer be the right coach to turn Hunter into the next Michael Johnson?