Vikings DC Ed Donatell Isn't Worried About Danielle Hunter's Slow Start
Vikings edge rusher Danielle Hunter hasn't quite looked like himself so far this season. Normally one of the most prolific pass rushers in the NFL when healthy, Hunter is off to a slow start. He has just one sack — which came back in Week 1 — and eight pressures though four games.
Those eight pressures, per PFF, are the fewest Hunter has had in a healthy four-game stretch since his rookie season. Advanced metrics like pass rush productivity and pressure rate place Hunter towards the bottom of the barrel among edge rushers, which is a rare place to see someone with his talent. We're talking about a two-time Pro Bowler who had 14.5 sacks in back to back seasons in 2018 and '19, becoming the youngest player in NFL history to reach 50 career sacks.
So what's changed? The scheme, for one. Hunter spent the first seven seasons of his career playing as a 4-3 defensive end in Mike Zimmer's defense. This offseason, he made the transition to 3-4 outside linebacker when Kevin O'Connell hired Ed Donatell as his defensive coordinator.
By all accounts, Hunter feels good physically after missing the second half of 2020 with a herniated disc in his neck and all of last season with a pectoral tear. But for whatever reason, he hasn't really gotten going in this scheme. Za'Darius Smith, who has played in a 3-4 for most of his career, has been more impactful with 13 pressures and three sacks.
Another factor at play is that Hunter has gone against three straight elite right tackles in the Eagles' Lane Johnson, the Lions' Penei Sewell, and the Saints' Ryan Ramczyk.
Donatell isn't worried about what he's seen from Hunter, saying it takes time for everyone to adjust to a new defense.
"Every guy that’s ever made that transition, the first month looks about like that," said the veteran coach. "That’s pretty normal. There’s a getting used to this role. Very, very normal. But we’re very glad to have him, OK? Let’s make that clear."
It's been an adjustment for Hunter, who used to have his hand on the ground on every play. Now he's lining up in different places and standing up at times. It's not a huge change, but it's a change nonetheless.
"It's not a total adjustment," Donatell said. "There are some things that are likeness and sameness to him, so it’s not a total (adjustment). It’s really, when we’re in our odd spacing against base people, where he’s standing up. You’ll see him maybe go down sometimes. But the biggest thing, he’s not packed into that front, inside a tight end and a tackle. He doesn’t have to do that. He’d probably be the first guy to say he likes this role better from the edge. But again, it’s so early. You’re not gonna find a harder worker, a higher character guy, a guy that cares more about the team."
This could be a good week for Hunter to get going. Bears right tackle Larry Borom is a solid player, but he's not at the same level of the three guys Hunter just faced. Bears QB Justin Fields also tends to open himself up to sacks by holding onto the ball for a while, as he's taken 16 of them this season.
There's no need to panic about Hunter just yet.
Thanks for reading. Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Vikings news and analysis all offseason long. Also, follow me on Twitter and feel free to ask me any questions on there.
