How much better can Danielle Hunter get in 2020?
By Dean Jones
Hunter’s rise to stardom
Danielle Hunter arrived to the Vikings as a freakish athlete who had enormous potential. There is no doubt he has lived up to his billing after an exceptional start to his professional career.
Hunter was a talented defender at LSU and although he took his time to settle in Minnesota, he has already proven to be a third-round steal.
The defensive end showed what he was capable of during his rookie campaign in 2015, recording six sacks in 14 appearances, which included one start. He played just 37 percent of the team’s snaps and this is a trend that continued in 2016.
Although Hunter did not officially record a single start, he notched 12.5 sacks and developed into a significant pass-rushing threat during his second season with the Vikings. His skill set showed a marked improvement and it was clear big things were in his future.
Hunter arguably took a step back in 2017 on his way to just seven sacks. But any thoughts of a prolonged regression have been quashed after an incredible two-year stint that has brought around almost identical statistics.
Hunter had 14.5 sacks in both 2018 and 2019, accumulating 877 and 882 defensive snaps in the process. He had 72 tackles in 2018 that were almost matched by a total of 70 last season.
The Pro Bowler also managed to disrupt opposing quarterbacks enough to finish with three forced fumbles in 2019. Any slight increase in his development could see even brighter things in the future.