Vikings Rookie Cameron Dantzler is Big Winner From Monday's Practice
Several players were impressive during the Vikings' first padded practice of training camp on Monday, but one player – and one play – stood out above the rest. Rookie cornerback Cameron Dantzler, a third-rounder from Mississippi State, made the play of the day when he dove to break up a deep pass intended for Adam Thielen.
Dantlzer slowed Thielen a bit at the line of scrimmage, went stride for stride with the star wideout down the field, and used his long frame to make a play on the ball.
It was the clear highlight of the day, with Dantzler celebrating and drawing raucous cheers from his fellow defensive backs.
After the practice concluded, Mike Zimmer was asked about the rookie corner, and he shared some major praise that came from an important source: Thielen.
"We like him a lot on tape," Zimmer said of Dantzler. "Adam Thielen came up to me during practice today and said '27's gonna be really good.' He's got long arms, he's got good length."
Dantzler was a fascinating prospect in this year's draft because his tape and his athletic testing gave off two different impressions. He performed at an elite level in the SEC last year, especially against two of the best offenses in the country in Alabama and LSU. All of his stats – passer rating against, yards allowed, PFF grade – were through the roof and suggested that he should be a first-round pick.
However, he ran a 4.64 40-yard dash and did a mediocre vertical jump at the combine, and a lot of that hype wore off. Concerns about his speed and athleticism caused Dantzler to fall all the way to the Vikings at No. 89 overall.
It was arguably a perfect landing spot, given Zimmer's long history of developing young corners. With Dantzler's lanky 6'2" frame and natural coverage ability, his ceiling is extremely high if he takes to coaching and continues to work hard. He has said that he just didn't run well at the combine, and there's evidence that suggests he's got the necessary speed to thrive in the NFL.
Here's what I wrote about the pick of Dantzler back in April, which I gave an A- grade:
I like this pick a lot. Dantzler's college tape and production are that of a first-rounder; he was the only player last season to shut down the best receiver in the country, LSU's Ja'Marr Chase. I think he has better recovery speed than the 40 time suggests and that his physicality will help him shine in press if he adds muscle to his frame. He also has the size to make a lot of plays on the ball. Perhaps most importantly, Dantzler – like Jeff Gladney – is a scrappy player with a competitive edge. "He's another guy that I think plays with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder and wants to go out and prove that he can compete against the best," Rick Spielman said. In Mike Hughes, Holton Hill, Gladney, and Dantzler, the Vikings have four corners under the age of 24 who can compete and grow together.
So far, Dantzler is off to a strong start. He's been taking some first-team reps at outside corner, and has been making plays throughout the first handful of practices we've gotten to see, none of them bigger than the one on Monday.
Holton Hill, Mike Hughes, and Jeff Gladney are probably the team's top three corners at the moment, but Dantzler will make it hard for the Vikings to keep him off the field if he keeps excelling.
If the start to his first training camp is any indication, the man known as "The Needle" might have a bright future in Minnesota.
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