Danielle Hunter continues to improve and impress in the Minnesota Vikings defense, but head coach Mike Zimmer still has plenty to teach the young player.
Right now, the Minnesota Vikings drafting defensive end Danielle Hunter in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft is looking like a massive steal. The hugely athletic pass rusher continues to improve statistically with each season, and earned a much bigger role in 2017.
In fact, Hunter is expected to be the starter across from Pro Bowl defensive end Everson Griffen. And while it’s impressive what he’s accomplished so far, there is a lot more for the young defender to learn.
Recently, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer praised the “terrific skill set” of Danielle Hunter during a recent press conference according to the team’s official website, saying that he has made some huge strides this offseason, “mostly on run downs.”
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But there is still a lot for the 22 year old Katy, Texas native to learn when it comes to defense. Zimmer loves the strides the young man has made, but still sees room for improvement to help him become an even more dominant player.
"“There’s times when he wants to raise up and start to peek and see what the play’s going to be instead of coming off low, defeating his man, and then once he gets control of it, then figuring out what’s going on from there,” Zimmer explained to Twin Cities media members Tuesday. “So to me, that’s the next step in his development.”"
Last season, Danielle Hunter more than doubled his sack output from the previous year, going from 6 sacks in 2015 to 12.5 in 2016. Plus, his combined tackles improved dramatically as well, going from 33 to 56.
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This could be the year that Danielle Hunter gets noticed on the national level. By now fans of the Minnesota Vikings and their opponents in the NFC North are familiar with the dynamic pass rusher, but soon he could become a household name if he continues to grow and develop under Mike Zimmer.