4 things that must change for the Minnesota Vikings in 2021

Pressure

For a once-proud defensive front to muster just 1.4 sacks per game in 2020 was disappointing. There was nobody more embarrassed by this than Mike Zimmer, so if things don’t trend in the right direction next season, it’s going to hamper their chances of a bounce-back campaign significantly.

If the Vikings were hoping Danielle Hunter would return and solve all their problems, they were mistaken. The stud defensive end has been a no-show at OTAs and Zimmer recently declared he hasn’t spoken to him lately to further enhance concerns about the player’s future.

Hunter is reportedly looking for a new deal and there is little doubt the edge rusher is underpaid providing he makes a full return to health after missing all of 2020 with a neck problem.

The Vikings are right to adopt a wait-and-see approach where Hunter is concerned and are hardly in a financial position to be giving him megabucks at the present time anyway.

Some common ground needs to be found – and quickly – before this predicament escalates into something more.

Outside of Hunter, Minnesota has some young pass-rushing talent that could help. But expecting inexperienced individuals such as D.J. Wonnum, Janarius Robinson, and Patrick Jones II to put up major numbers is probably asking too much.

Either way, unless the Vikings return to their havoc-causing ways of old, it’s going to be a problem. Solving the situation involving Hunter is the only way this potentially improves in 2021.