Vikings DE Danielle Hunter named NFC Defensive Player of the Week
By Adam Carlson
For his efforts in Week 14 against the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter has been named Defensive Player of the Week.
By now, Minnesota Vikings fans know that Danielle Hunter is a threat to get to the opposing team’s quarterback every time he takes a defensive snap. His speed, athleticism, and power are amazing to watch each week, especially considering he is only 25 years old.
Hunter put those skills on display in Week 14 against the Detroit Lions, sacking quarterback David Blough three times and adding five more tackles in the game with three of those being solo efforts.
Those efforts weren’t unnoticed by the NFL, as Danielle Hunter was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 14 as reported by the official website of the Minnesota Vikings.
Hunter has made it a habit of causing havoc against the Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium. Recently, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press discussed the young defensive end’s dominance with a teammate and shared it on his Twitter account.
#Vikings DE Danielle Hunter has been named NFC Defensive Player of the Week in each of the past two seasons after games against Detroit. I asked Vikings DT Jaleel Johnson what if Hunter could play every game against the Lions. “Oh, man,’’ Johnson said. “It wouldn’t even be fair."
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) December 11, 2019
During the game against Detroit, Hunter became the youngest player in NFL history to reach 50 sacks in a career. When the Vikings drafted him in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft, many experts felt like Minnesota reached for a player who would need a lot of time to develop strong pass rush skills.
In fact, NFL.com’s pre-draft evaluation of Hunter included concerns that ” his pass-rush instincts are marginal and he hasn’t learned to use his physical advantages to rush the quarterback more consistently.” Even more confusing is how a prospect like Hunter can earn a grade of 5.6 out of ten based on his time at LSU.
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Thankfully, the Minnesota Vikings coaching staff has done an amazing job working with Danielle Hunter to hone his talents and make him one of the elite pass rushers in the NFL. Through Week 14 of the season, Hunter is tied for fourth in sacks with 12.5 and looks to improve upon that number when the team faces off against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.