Minnesota Vikings rookie cornerback Cameron Dantzler has been exceptional.
Justin Jefferson has been the talk of the town from the Minnesota Vikings 2020 draft class, and rightfully so. But third-round cornerback Cameron Dantzler is starting to show that he deserves similar praise. Dantzler was instrumental in Minnesota’s Week 13 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
After battling injuries early in the year, Dantzler has emerged as the Vikings’ most reliable cornerback on a weekly basis.
Last week against the Carolina Panthers, Dantzler shut down stud wide receiver D.J. Moore for most of the game. In Week 13, Minnesota’s rookie corner stepped up once again and kept Jaguars receiver DJ Chark from making any splash plays.
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In fact, Dantzler was basically perfect in coverage against Jacksonville on Sunday. He came up with his first career interception after ripping the ball out of a Jaguars receiver’s hands, which swayed momentum in a huge way.
According to PFF, Dantzler allowed just one catch on seven targets during 47 coverage snaps on Sunday. The one catch he did allow only resulted in seven yards and then the rookie ended up ripping the ball out for a forced fumble and recovery.
The Vikings were without most of the front seven on Sunday as Eric Kendricks got injured prior to kickoff. With virtually no pass rush and backups starting at each linebacker spot, Minneota had to rely on their young cornerbacks all afternoon. Fellow rookie corner Jeff Gladney played very well once again this past weekend, but Dantzler stole the show.
This year’s Vikings training camp was filled with clips and highlights from Dantzler and he has lived up to his heightened expectations thus far in his young career. If he can stay on the field and avoid injuries, Dantzler could be a star for Minnesota’s defense moving forward.
Week 13 was the calling card that Dantzler needed to get to the next level. Now that he has secured his first career interception, the rookie should have a new degree of confidence. He looked very comfortable on Sunday, which is a great sign for the Vikings and his development.
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If things keep going in the right direction, Minnesota will have a lockdown corner to build around for the future as Dantzler appears to be a superstar in the making.