Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Danielle Hunter is a name everyone is keeping an eye on as we head toward the NFL trade deadline in just about two weeks. Owners of a 2-4 record, the Vikings are a team that could be looking to make some moves.
There are a few veterans on the roster who have been mentioned as potential trade targets and Danielle Hunter has been arguably the most popular one. He only improved his stock with his performance in Week 6 against the Chicago Bears, racking up seven tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks, two quarterback hits and one pass defended.
It is hard to envision the Vikings retaining him beyond this season, and if that is truly the case, trading him makes the most sense. Turning only 29 just days before the deadline, Danielle Hunter is someone who could be more than a rental for teams.
Because of his age and the real possibility of an extension being worked out, the market for him should be more robust than for your run-of-the-mill expiring contract veteran. The Vikings should be able to retract legitimate value in exchange for him, potentially multiple draft picks.
Over at PFF, Danielle Hunter was one of the many players that Brad Speilberger provided an update on ahead of the deadline. He mentioned three teams who stand out as potential suitors for the star pass rusher; the Baltimore Ravens, Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints.
Out of those three, the Ravens seem closest to being able to call themselves legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Adding an established pass rusher such as Danielle Hunter would be right up their alley as they did something similar last season with linebacker Roquan Smith.
The Jaguars could certainly use some more pass-rushing juice opposite of Josh Allen, but he too is on an expiring contract. Would Jacksonville be willing to part with the necessary assets to acquire Danielle Hunter knowing it could be a rental?
The Saints have lost three out of their last four games, making them a potentially desperate franchise that will want to make a move. A matchup against the aforementioned Jaguars on Thursday Night Football to kick off Week 7 could push one of the teams to make an aggressive offer to upgrade their pass rush to acquire Danielle Hunter.
