Minnesota Vikings DE Danielle Hunter is a rising star in the NFC North

Danielle Hunter continues to impress fans of the Minnesota Vikings, but he has yet to make a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team despite his excellent play.

When you’re a backup or rotational player in the NFL, it can be hard to get the respect that you deserve. That could be the case for Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter, who quietly put up 12.5 sacks during the 2016 season, tying for the third most of any player in the NFL.

Fans in Minnesota may know his name and be in awe over his past accomplishments and his potential going forward, but many fans of the NFL may not even know his name, since he’s not usually involved in All-Pro or Pro Bowl discussions.

However, when a group of NFC North beat writers got together on ESPN to discuss who the biggest rising stars in the division are, it was no surprise to see the dynamic young pass rusher included.

Here is what Ben Goessling had to say about Hunter in the piece:

More from The Viking Age

"“The 22-year-old tied for third in the league last year with 12.5 sacks — despite only playing 578 snaps — and he could be in line to do even more damage this year. He’ll line up at left end, with teams already worrying about Everson Griffen on the right side, and Hunter will match up against a number of right tackles who simply can’t handle his combination of speed and power. The 6-foot-5 end was outrunning defensive backs while training with Adrian Peterson last summer, and his 34 1/2-inch arms allow him to put offensive linemen on skates pretty quickly. He didn’t go to the Pro Bowl a year ago, but he’s attracting enough attention to be in line to make the team this year.”"

Interesting enough, the reporters covering the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions both chose Packers safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, who appeared in the Pro Bowl last season and was a second team All-Pro, hardly making him an under-the-radar player.

The Chicago Bears beat reporter chose running back Jordan Howard. Vikings fans are all very familiar with the damage that Howard can do in both the running and receiving game, since he torched Minnesota for 202 all-purpose yards in week 8 last season.

Next: Vikings 2017 schedule breakdown

While Danielle Hunter continues to wait to see his name in the bright lights of the Pro Bowl or be honored with an All-Pro nod, fans of the Minnesota Vikings know just how talented the pass rusher is and are very excited to see what the future holds for him going forward.

Home/Minnesota Vikings News