Around the NFL

June 28, 2018

Vikings pass rush

Hunter deal keeps top-performing defense intact

The Vikings handed Danielle Hunter a five-year, $72 million contract extension yesterday, and that looks like a shrewd move. Hunter has averaged close to 10 sacks over the last two seasons and is just 23 years old -- his best football is very likely ahead of him. And it keeps one of the league's best pass rush in recent seasons together.

The Vikings also have Everson Griffen, and that duo helps make for a very strong performer in terms of sacks. Minnesota has at least 40 sacks in six of the last seven years, one of just two teams (along with Denver) to manage that. Their 297 sacks over that time frame ranks 4th in the league.

TEAM SACKS, 2011-2017
Team	'11	'12	'13	'14	'15	'16	'17	Tot
Carolina	31	39	60	40	44	47	50	311
LA Rams	39	52	53	40	41	31	48	304
Denver	41	52	41	41	52	42	33	302
Minnesota	50	44	41	41	43	41	37	297
New England	40	37	48	40	49	34	42	290
Baltimore	48	37	40	49	37	31	41	283
Arizona	42	38	47	35	36	48	37	283
Pittsburgh	35	37	34	33	48	38	56	281
Green Bay	29	47	44	41	43	40	37	281
Philadelphia	50	30	37	49	37	34	38	275
Cincinnati	45	51	43	20	42	33	41	275
Seattle	33	36	44	37	37	42	39	268
Houston	44	44	32	38	45	31	32	266
Washington	41	32	36	37	38	38	42	264
Tennessee	28	39	36	39	39	40	43	264
Buffalo	29	36	57	54	21	39	27	263
Chicago	33	41	31	39	35	37	42	258
Miami	41	42	42	39	31	33	30	258
Kansas City	29	27	47	46	47	28	31	255
Detroit	41	34	33	42	42	26	35	253
Jacksonville	31	20	31	45	36	33	55	251
New Orleans	33	30	49	34	31	30	42	249
NY Giants	48	33	34	47	23	35	27	247
San Francisco	42	38	38	36	28	33	30	245
NY Jets	35	30	41	45	39	27	28	245
Dallas	42	34	34	28	31	36	38	243
LA Chargers	32	38	35	26	32	35	43	241
Indianapolis	29	32	42	41	35	33	25	237
Cleveland	32	38	40	31	29	26	34	230
Tampa Bay	23	27	35	36	38	38	22	219
Oakland	39	25	38	22	38	25	31	218
Atlanta	33	29	32	22	19	34	39	208

Minnesota hasn't been quite as good in terms of takeaways over that span, typically ranking in the teens or lower. And last year they had their lowest sack total in that stretch. That accounts for them showing up just inside the top 10 in our preseason rankings -- good fantasy defense, but not necessarily a difference-maker.

But the best seems to be yet to come for Hunter, so still a reasonable target in drafts.

--Andy Richardson

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