Danielle Hunter Is in Store for Another Big Day
Seeing Danielle Hunter stalking down opposing Quarterbacks once again is a sight for sore eyes. For every fan of the Minnesota Vikings. The 2020 version of head coach Mike Zimmers defense, which was missing key pieces like Hunter, Anthony Barr, Michael Pierce, and down the stretch Eric Kendricks. Was one truly to forget. The 2021 version hasn’t exactly set the world on fire to date, but there have been some positives. Not least of which has been the return of Hunter, who has amassed four sacks in the opening two games.
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The LSU alumni could be forgiven for being rusty after missing a whole season with a neck injury. He played on 60 (87%) defensive snaps in Week 1 against Cincinnati, garnering one sack and six tackles, with one tackle for loss. In Week 2, with some game time under his belt, Hunter looked sharper. He played 53 (87%) defensive snaps, earning three sacks and seven tackles with three tackles for loss, per Pro Football Reference.
Plenty of Room to Get Sharper
Through 2 games, Pro Football Focus gives the Vikings premiere defensive end an overall rating of 74.7, with a pass-rush grade of 67.9 and a run defense grade of 70.0. For reference, pre-neck injury in 2019 Hunters season grades was 89.4 overall, 83.4 pass-rush, and 76.8 run defense.
He’s not performing near that 2019 level yet, but the fact he’s already playing as well as he is. It goes to show what a gifted athlete the man is. Chasing down Kyler Murray trying to escape the pocket for a sack is impressive by anyone’s standards. The more reps on the field, the sharper Hunter will get. I also like that they have him switching sides this year. With the pass-rush being largely underwhelming so far, moving Hunter around to keep the opposition on their toes will be necessary.
Looking ahead to Seattle
Finally, the Seahawks come to Minnesota after what seems like an eternity of road games. With the Vikings looking to snap a seven-game winning streak in this fixture. Seattle becomes the final team from the NFC to play at US Bank Stadium, as the Vikings welcome back its fans for the first time since 2019. A raucous crowd will surely be on hand to try and cheer the Vikings out of their two-game slump to start the season.
Starting right tackle, Brandon Shell has been ruled out of the game due to an ankle injury. The six-year veteran will likely be replaced by Jamarco Jones. The third-year pro has played a handful of games in his NFL career, but he is very much a backup. It’s a matchup the Vikings should be looking to exploit. Hunter needs two sacks to jump above Kevin Williams and Brian Robison into the top ten all-time sack leaders for the Minnesota Vikings. This is a matchup that gives him every opportunity to do so.