Danielle Hunter’s Absence Will Be Felt

The Vikings made a deal for former Jaguars defensive end Yannick Ngakoue a few weeks ago. This trade was going to give Minnesota one of the leagues best pass rush duos in the league.

However, Hunter was placed on injured reserve to begin this season. Now, Yannick Ngakoue is the premier pass rusher for Minnesota. It is the first time in Ngakoue’s career he will not have another top-level pass rusher on the defensive line.

The addition of Yannick Ngakoue brought a lot of excitement to Minnesota. However, in the first week of the season, Ngakoue did not play very well. He was the main pass rush threat for the Vikings. The Packers were able to key in on him, though Their pass rush was a virtual non-factor in this matchup vs. Green Bay with only 7 pressures.

There is some mystery surrounding Danielle Hunter’s injury. He will be eligible to return in three weeks. However, this pass rush must pick up the slack in his absence. In the next two weeks, the Vikings will be facing the Titans and the Colts, two teams with quality offensive lines.

If Minnesota’s defensive line cannot generate pressure, they will have a tough time winning these games.