The Vikings reworked Danielle Hunter’s deal this offseason. That’s a win for both sides — Hunter gets more guaranteed money and the Vikings get to retain their stellar defensive end.
However, Hunter is coming off a year where he played no games due to a neck injury he suffered in the offseason. With that injury being a looming concern, it seems as though Hunter is out of the spotlight among the best edge rushers in the league.
At least, according to our friends at Touchdown Wire. Doug Farrar, who writes for the outlet, gave his rankings of the top edge defenders in the NFL. Hunter’s name did not come up.
This may irk some Vikings fans, but I can see why analysts are a bit hesitant to put Hunter right back in their rankings. Neck injuries are serious, so it’s not a given that he will return to his past self.
That said, he tallied 14.5 sacks in 2018 and 2019, so if he gets back to that production level, he’ll certainly be in the conversation. I guess Hunter has to prove he’s the player he once was.