Believe it or not, Justin Jefferson was not the Minnesota Vikings rookie with the most hype surrounding him coming out of the team's 2020 training camp. Instead, that title belonged to cornerback Cam Dantzler.
In fact, Dantzler impressed the Vikings' coaching staff enough during his first training camp that he opened the 2020 regular season in the team's starting lineup, while Jefferson began his rookie campaign in the No. 3 spot on the wide receiver depth chart behind Bisi Johnson.
Fast forward to now, and the paths of Jefferson and Dantzler have gone in two significantly different directions, as one has developed into arguably the best receiver in the NFL, and the other is hanging onto his football career by a thread.
Former Minnesota Vikings CB Cam Dantzler signs with UFL team
As Jefferson inches closer to landing a massive contract extension from Minnesota, Dantzler is reportedly going to see if he can get his career back on track in the UFL.
According to PFNewsroom.com's James Larsen, the former Vikings cornerback has signed a contract with the UFL's San Antonio Brahmas. Dantzler joins a Brahmas roster that also includes former Minnesota pass rusher Zach McCloud, who was signed by the Vikings in 2022 as an undrafted free agent.
After a college career at Mississippi State, Dantzler wound up finding a home in the NFL with Minnesota in 2020 after the team used a third-round pick on him. Dantzler was expected to help the Vikings' secondary transition into a new era after the departures of Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, and Mackensie Alexander during the 2020 offseason.
Dantzler had a solid rookie year with Minnesota, as he finished with the best defensive grade from PFF among all of the team's cornerbacks. However, he also missed five games due to injury, and his lean frame (6-foot-2, 188 pounds) definitely played a factor in this.
During the 2021 offseason, Dantzler attempted to put on some additional weight, but former Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer still felt the cornerback needed to get even bigger in order to avoid getting so banged up out on the field.
The young cornerback was solid again in 2021, appearing in 14 games, however, his most memorable moment from this season is one he would love to forget, as he allowed the game-winning touchdown pass in Minnesota's Week 13 loss to a winless Detroit Lions team.
Dantzler's final season with Vikings came in 2022, and after getting benched in favor of undrafted corner Duke Shelley midway through the campaign, it was clear that the team's 2020 third-round pick was close to being shown the door.
That day eventually came during the 2023 offseason when Minnesota waived Dantzler. After his departure from the Vikings, he wound up having stints with the Buffalo Bills, Washington Commanders, Houston Texans, and New Orleans Saints throughout the campaign.
A free agent this year, it seems like Dantzler was tired of waiting around, and now he's hoping to do enough during his time in the UFL to land a spot on an NFL roster before the start of the 2024 season.