Having already matched last year’s sack total through six games, Danielle Hunter is on track for a career year following his lucrative offseason contract extension.
Not only is Hunter validating the Vikings’ $72 million gesture of faith, he’s done so for the last four games without Everson Griffen occupying opposing teams’ attention on the other side of the defensive line. Griffen is currently out as he addresses mental health concerns that arose in September.
Hunter’s seven sacks are tied for the league lead with three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt. His 20 hurries are tied for second in the league, according to Pro Football Focus, only behind Buffalo’s Jerry Hughes.
“Honestly, I don’t think he’s done anything different than when Everson was here,” head coach Mike Zimmer said. “The guy’s been getting better all the time, and I think obviously he’s playing with a lot of confidence. His reaction time is maybe a little bit quicker now.”
Hunter had his first multi-sack game of the year Sunday against the Cardinals, though he had a second sack against the San Francisco 49ers taken off the board by a defensive penalty in Week 1. Nonetheless, he is presently on pace for a career-high 19 sacks if he avoids injury.
Griffen tied the team record a year ago with sacks in his first eight games before a torn plantar fascia suffered in Week 8 limited him the rest of the season. Hunter is two games away from potentially tying Griffen’s mark, which is also held by Jared Allen and Jim Marshall.
Hunter had at least 0.5 sacks in five straight games back in 2016, when he recorded 12.5 sacks total in his second season. Linemate Sheldon Richardson believes that’s the mark Hunter has to shoot for.
“He’s balling,” Richardson said. “Ain’t no need to raise the game. … Until he beats [13 sacks] that’s the only other way you can raise your game.”
The Vikings are tied for fifth in the league with 18 sacks, yet they’ve done so with a shallow rotation on the defensive line. Without Griffen for the last four games or Tashawn Bower (ankle) for the last two, Hunter has totaled 341 snaps this year, the most on the defensive line, and 50 or more reps each game this season.
“Danielle can play a million plays if he wanted to,” Zimmer said Wednesday. “He’s 22 or something. He’s built like Adonis.”
The chiseled Hunter is actually 23 — but turning 24 on Oct. 29. He has two games left before his birthday to break Robert Quinn’s record of sacks by a defensive lineman before age 24. Quinn had 34.5; Hunter has 32.5.
Since entering the league, Hunter’s athleticism has helped him beat slower offensive linemen with speed rushes on the outside. Five of his seven sacks this season have come on outside moves around the tackle.
The soft-spoken Hunter has said that the defense is collectively playing for Griffen, whose timetable for a return is unknown. Since Griffen departed, Hunter has played over 90 percent of his snaps in the right defensive end spot, often matching up with the opposing team’s top tackle.
“I just go out there and play for my team and stick to the game plan,” Hunter said after Sunday’s win, “do whatever I need to do to make plays.”
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