Danielle Hunter turned some heads during the 2015 NFL season for the Minnesota Vikings, but the sky could be the limit for the young defensive end.
Fans of the Minnesota Vikings were pleasantly surprised by the impact that rookie defensive end Danielle Hunter had during the 2015 NFL season. While most media outlets talked about how raw of a talent he was when the team selected him in the third round of the draft.
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While Hunter is still raw, he has proven to be much more than a long-term project. The team has called upon him in several pass rushing situations to disrupt the quarterback. The young defensive end has made the most of those opportunities, netting 6 sacks and a forced fumble in a limited role.
As Hunter continues to grow and develop, he will keep earning more and more playing time. In a recent article on ESPN.com, his Minnesota Vikings teammate Everson Griffen had nothing but great things to say about the young man, even saying he wishes he had some of Hunter’s intangibles.
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"“I wished I was that coachable when I was that young,” Griffen said. “He’s only 21; he’s probably still the youngest player in the NFL right now. The big thing for him is to use what God gave him — his speed, his length, his bend — and he’ll be unstoppable.”"
Minnesota Vikings defensive line coach Andre Patterson also has a lot of love for the 6’5″ athletic monster of a man. He believes the sky can be the limit as far as Hunter’s potential.
"“I think he can be as good as he allows himself to be. I do not want to put a barrier on him. I don’t want to say he can be as good as this guy or that guy. Who knows? He might be better than all of them.”"
Next: Vikings game-by-game 2016 season preview
Danielle Hunter will join a talented defensive line for the 2016 NFL season when the team moves into U.S. Bank Stadium in hopes of defending the NFC North championship from their division rivals and making more noise in the playoffs this year.