5 former players the Vikings badly miss in 2023
By Adam Carlson
Former Vikings player No. 1
Za'Darius Smith, edge rusher
Danielle Hunter is off to a great start this season. The dynamic Minnesota Vikings edge rusher is tied with Pittsburgh Steelers defender T.J. Watt to lead the league with four sacks through the first two games.
Hunter would likely be even more successful if he had more help opposite him. While he has been off to a great start, edge rusher Marcus Davenport has yet to become a contributor, playing only four snaps in Week 2 and not registering a single statistic this season.
Although he wasn't happy in Minnesota, Za'Darius Smith had a similarly hot start to the season last year and looked like a force to be reckoned with. Until he was slowed by an injury, Smith was always at or near the top of the league in sacks.
The Davenport signing seems like a bust at the moment, especially considering his odd injury status, but the Minnesota Vikings could definitely use the help of a dynamic edge rusher to help Hunter in this aggressive Brian Flores defense.