Only One Thing Can Stop Vikings New Pass Rushing Duo
About two weeks ago, Minnesota Vikings fans feared the reality of no Danielle Hunter, as the dynamic pass rusher was rumored in the trade mill.
Ultimately, the Vikings and Hunter arrived at a contractual solution, leaving his original agreement in place and thus solidifying his services for 2022 and perhaps 2023.
Then, on Tuesday, the franchise signed Za’Darius Smith from the Green Bay Packers, formulating a sinister combination of Hunter and Smith on the Vikings defensive edges.
The two will wreak havoc, and just one thing can prevent that — injury.
And it’s not an unreasonable fear. Smith played in one regular season game last season, missing 94% of the year because of a back injury. His new pal, Hunter, missed 79% of the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”977763″ player=”26279″ title=”WATCH%202022%20NFL%20defense%20rankings%20%20Outlook%20for%20top%20defenses%20after%20free%20agency” duration=”82″ description=”The 2021 season is in the books and defensive play culminated in the Los Angeles Rams becoming Super Bowl champions. It’s something to keep in mind for the 2022 season and we take it into consideration in the first edition of our 2022 NFL defense rankings.Bookmark this page throughout the summer and 2022 season for frequent updates of our NFL defense rankings. When the regular season arrives, we’ll provide weekly analysis and previews of matchups for the top-20 teams.” uploaddate=”2022-03-22″ thumbnailurl=”undefined” contentUrl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/streaming/977684/977684.m3u8″ width=”16″ height=”9″]
Since the start of the 2020 season, Hunter and Smith have missed a combined 64% of football games. If you are searching for a reason to worry — Vikings fans do that — this is it.
New general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is gambling. He signed Smith and recommitted to Hunter under the pretense their injuries are not longstanding. Thankfully for Adofo-Mensah’s wager, the men do not have a long history of injury prior to 2020. So, it’s not like the combo is Grant Hill from the NBA 25 years ago.
What’s the upside? North Star State-Sponsored terrorism. In their last two full seasons combined (Hunter = 2018-2019, Smith = 2019-2020), Hunter and Smith tallied 55 sacks collectively. That’s a lot.
In their healthiest and purest form, Hunter and Smith will notch 12-15 sacks apiece and generate pressures galore. The reward is mighty, especially for a team that limped out of the 2021 season ranked 30th in yards allowed to opponents.
Of course, the team still has work to do for roster construction. The offensive line hasn’t been proficient in 10+ years. Adofo-Mensah should acquire a guard or center to hedge the bet on the existing OL group. And the Vikings need cornerbacks as the hodgepodge of Cameron Dantzler, Kris Boyd, Harrison Hand, and Parry Nickerson will inspire no fear for opposing offensive coordinators.
The Smith signing ensures the Vikings defense is worthy of playoff contendership — once the rest of the depth chart fills out. It was a rather emphatic proclamation of such.
The honeymoon of the Smith signing isn’t the most pleasing time to mention injuries. But, indeed, the Vikings bolstered the trenches with two men possessing recent injury history.
If that injury history was standalone, Kevin O’Connell’s group will be fine. Should Hunter and Smith miss ample time, the moves from March will be remembered as best-laid plans.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. His YouTube Channel, VikesNow, debuts in March 2022. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
Vikings Territory Also Read: Jalen Hurts Did Something to Vikings That’s Never Happened Before
You must be logged in to post a comment.