How Will Smith and Hunter Mesh?
When the Minnesota Vikings signed Za’Darius Smith away from their NFC North foe Green Bay Packers back in March, he was immediately projected to complement Danielle Hunter.
Fast forward to June, and both are showing signs of being a dominant pass-rush duo that will terrorize most any offensive line. The only question is, can both of these edge players stay healthy?
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Hunter was forced to miss all of the COVID-ravaged 2020 campaign thanks to a neck injury and lost half of his 2021 season after having recovery surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle. Smith also dealt with back problems and needed surgery, causing him to miss time for Green Bay last year.
However, they appear to have returned to full strength and are having a fun competition ahead of training camp in July.
The Vikings also appear to be playing under a new defensive system in 2022. Former Broncos Defense Coordinator Ed Donatell is instilling a 3-4 style defense, and outside linebacker coach Mike Smith has seen that both players have started to gel.
“I think they’re going to help each other,” Smith told the Twin Cities Pioneer Press. “I think they both play well off each other. They both kind of bring a different skill set when we watch them. It’s good to have both of them. You’ve got to have that in this league to be successful.”
Statistically, Smith and Hunter have been two of the more dominant rushers in the NFL since they entered the league in 2015. Smith has racked up 44.5 sacks with the Ravens and Packers over his first seven seasons, while Hunter accrued 60.5 sacks with Minnesota.
A 3-4 defensive scheme is not exactly something new to coach Mike Smith and the Vikings’ D.
“You guys can look at my history and where I’ve been,” Smith said. “I’m going to put my best on their worst.”
One thing that has been noticed throughout the spring practices is that the two (Hunter and Z. Smith) have been working on different sides. Sometimes they’re told to blitz through the middle. In other instances, they come off the edge. “You’re not playing one side or the other, which they have been used to here,” coach Smith said. “It doesn’t work like that.”
Hunter has lined up primarily as a D-end, but now with Za’Darius Smith in tow, Danielle may see some potential as a nose tackle this season. But both guys feel like they are getting to enjoy themselves through practice and be more aggressive in preparation for the 2022 season.
“He’s (Danielle) loving his new role,” coach Smith said. “The package we have where we see Z rushing up the middle and doing that type of stuff, now D is getting to do it. He’s like a kid in a candy shop.”
“They became really close,” the coach noted about the chemistry between the two, despite needing a few days to warm up to each other. “After that first week, man, they are inseparable. That’s good. That’s how it needs to be. All those guys up front are a family, and they work together and all that type of good stuff. That’s when it clicks.”
Vikings fans are hoping that everything will click once real play starts in September, and the expectations are high for Danielle Hunter and Za’Darius Smith to lead the new regime of Purple People Eaters into a playoff-caliber season.
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