Latest news with #DanielleHunter
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Minnesota Vikings draft steal turns into top pick in 2015 NFL re-draft
The 2015 NFL Draft was one of the best in Minnesota Vikings history. Perhaps no player paid off more for them than third-round pick Danielle Hunter, who was selected 88th overall. Despite standing 6-foot-6, 240 pounds, Hunter had marginal production in college. He only generated 4.5 sacks in three seasons at LSU, prompting some to wonder if he was worth the Vikings' selection. Hunter proved the Vikings right, notching 87.5 sacks in nine seasons and earning four Pro Bowl bids. He was the longest-tenured Viking of the historic draft. Of course, had everyone known what they know now, the Vikings wouldn't have ever gotten their hands on Hunter. In their 2015 NFL re-draft, PFF had Hunter going third overall in that draft, being picked by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars needed an edge rusher from this class and chose Dante Fowler Jr. out of Florida. In hindsight, the better pick would have been Danielle Hunter, who, more than a decade later, is still producing at a high level. Hunter has earned pass-rush grades above 70.0 in each of the past six seasons, including three above 80.0. He's also recorded more than 10.5 sacks in every season in which he played more than 10 games. Hunter left Minnesota in 2024, signing with the Houston Texans. However, he continued to terrorize quarterbacks, racking up 12 sacks and earning his fifth Pro Bowl selection. Not bad for the guy who couldn't get to the quarterback in college.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Texans' Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. Ranked Among Best Pass-Rush Duos Entering 2025 Season
Texans' Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. Ranked Among Best Pass-Rush Duos Entering 2025 Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Entering the 2025 season, the Houston Texans are expected to have one of the most elite defenses in the NFL. This includes a talented secondary and front seven that should wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks. Advertisement Leading that front seven are defensive ends Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., who recently checked in at No. 2 in a Bleacher Report ranking of the best pass-rush duos entering 2025. "This duo has only worked together for one season, but they made one hell of an impact together last year." Bleacher Report's Matt Holder wrote. "Hunter finished tied for fifth in the NFL with 12 sacks while Anderson was tied for 10th with 11, making the Houston Texans one of two teams to have two players finish in the top 10 for sacks." Holder also applauded Hunter and Anderson's ability to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Advertisement "According to Pro Football Focus, the nine-year veteran [Hunter] ranked seventh among edge-rushers with 66 pressures during the 2024 regular season, while the second-year pro wasn't far behind him, finishing 25th with 51." Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51) and defensive end Danielle Hunter (55) attempt to sack Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18)Troy Taormina-Imagn Images "That's a big reason both finished with a top 25 PFF pass-rush grade: 80.7 and 14th for Hunter, 75.9 and 24th for Anderson." Holder wrote. With head coach DeMeco Ryans at the helm the past two seasons, the Texans front seven has made massive strides. After finishing the 2022 season with 39 sacks, Houston registered 46 in 2023 and tied for fourth in the league with 49 last year. Advertisement Hunter and Anderson aren't the only ones contributing. "Mix that in with Denico Autry (62 career sacks in 11 seasons) and Sheldon Rankins (30.5 sacks in nine seasons) off the bench, and Houston's defense has a chance to be one of the best in the league this season." Related: Texans Legend J.J. Watt Catches Attention with Major Announcement Related: Texans Announce Full Training Camp Schedule This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
01-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Texans Pro Bowl DE Danielle Hunter considered to have NFL's most 'team-friendly' contract
Danielle Hunter was one of the better finds on the free agent market last offseason for the Houston Texans and turned the AFC South defense into a must-watch last fall. After posting 12 sacks last season, plus finishing top five in tackles for loss with 18, the Texans made sure he was well compensated for the upcoming fall. Inked to a one-year extension worth $35.6 million, Hunter has landed among the highest-paid players at his position entering the 2025 campaign. Add in the consistency from the left side with Will Anderson Jr., the Texans could have one of the best duos in the NFL for the foreseeable future. ESPN's Dan Graziano recently broke down every team's most player-friendly contracts heading into next season. For the Texans, Hunter's top-three contract, but also consistency over the last decades in Houston and Minnesota, placed him at the top of the list for the most player-friendly edge rusher contract. "The Texans got to this offseason and were looking at having Hunter under contract for one year and $19.5 million. Nice deal for them if they did nothing," Graziano wrote. "But Hunter was coming off a 12-sack season and deserved a raise. With only one year left on the deal, the Texans didn't want to risk letting him play out the deal and leave as a free agent next year, so they did an extension. The new deal increases his 2025 pay from $19.5 million to $32 million (of which $31.5 million is guaranteed) and adds a 2026 season that includes $22.6 million fully guaranteed. "All told, Hunter will end up making $61.5 million in his first two years in Houston and a fully guaranteed $84.1 million over his first three. And because he was extended for only one year, another strong season by him would put Houston in the same boat next offseason of having to extend him again or let him play out the final year of his contract." Despite being the second-highest paid edge rusher in the league at $35 million annually, the number is a bargain because of the measurements for Hunter. A four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, Hunter averages at least 12.4 sacks and 16.3 tackles for loss a season. Over his last four years, that number has been elevated to 13.7 sacks and 18.2 tackles for loss, something most defensive ends would consider to be a career year. After a strong 2024 debut, Houston felt confident in paying out their five-time Pro Bowler the raise he deserved. As Hunter suits up for his 11th season, if he can remain healthy, one could expect him to remain consistent. Last season could have been the beginning of something that makes Houston one of the league's more viable threats in the AFC for several years.
USA Today
01-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Minnesota Vikings pass rusher has 'player friendly' deal with new team
When the Vikings had to reset their defensive front in 2024 when they knew they could no longer afford their star pass rusher Danielle Hunter. They ended up replacing him with Jonathan Greenard in a move that has proved to be beneficial to the team through one season as he formed one of the best pass rush duos in the league with Andrew Van Ginkel. Meanwhile, Hunter essentially switched spots with Greenard and signed with the Houston Texans. In the process, he was able to sign a contract with the team that he had been unable to secure with the Vikings. According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, Hunter's contract with the Texans is one of the more "player-friendly" deals for edge rushers in the entire NFL. After signing his initial deal, Hunter signed a one-year extension with the team, and as Graziano explains, he is now set up to make more money than before. He writes, "All told, Hunter will end up making $61.5 million in his first two years in Houston and a fully guaranteed $84.1 million over his first three. And because he was extended for only one year, another strong season by him would put Houston in the same boat next offseason of having to extend him again or let him play out the final year of his contract." If the Vikings had spent this much money on Hunter, they would not have the flexibility they have enjoyed with their salary cap. It has allowed them to be spenders the last two offseasons, while also extending several prominent cornerstone players within the franchise as Kwesi Adofo-Mensah builds out this roster. Vikings fans can be happy for Hunter though, until they play him in a Super Bowl matchup of course.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Analyzing pass-rushing in the AFC South
Much like the pass-protection of the AFC South, the pass-rush leaves a bit to be desired. The Texans aside, the pass-rush of the other three teams last season were very weak, all ranking near the bottom of the league in pressure rate and sacks. Let's take a look at pass-rushing in the AFC South. Advertisement Houston Texans Few were better than the Houston Texans at rushing the passer last season. The combination of Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr accounted for 148 pressures and 23 sacks last season. Hunter actually led the NFL in pressures, while Anderson finished tied for 17th according to Next Gen Stats. Tim Settle added another five sacks himself along the interior as did Derek Barnett, Houston's rotational pass-rusher. In total, the Texans racked up 241 pressures and 49 sacks, ranking second in pressure rate (37.8%) and fourth in sack rate (7.7%). Indianapolis Colts It's a steep fall off after the Houston Texans. While the Texans were near the top of the league, the Colts managed just 193 pressures and 36 sacks sacks on the season. The team's 31.4% pressure rate ranked 26th, while their 5.9% sack rate ranked only slightly better at 23rd. Advertisement Unlike the Texans or Jaguars, the Colts lack a true pass-rush specialist and rather have a pressure by committee. Even more so now after the loss of Dayo Odeyingbo, their top pass-rusher from last season. It's up to second-year Laiatu Latu to take a sophomore leap. Tennessee Titans Statistically, the Titans and Colts are very similar teams when it comes to rushing the passer. The Titans tallied 170 pressures and 32 sacks, notching a 31.1% pressure rate (27th) and a 5.9% sack rate (24th). Also similarly to the Colts, the Titans lost their best pass-rusher in Harold Landry, who led the team with nine sacks. The Titans does retain Jeffrey Simmons, their dominant interior defender, so the team will look to lean on him even more this coming season. Advertisement Jacksonville Jaguars It's strange finding the Jaguars 30th in pressure rate (28.3%) and sack rate (5.2%), despite boasting two top-15 edge rushes from last season. In fact, the Jaguars were the only team to have two players inside the NFL's Top-15 for most pressures. Despite Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker's best efforts, it simply wasn't enough. The Jaguars interior pass-rush and averseness to blitzing left Hines-Allen and Walker on their own to create pressure far too often. With the addition of Emmanuel Ogbah, and some reshuffling along the defensive line, there's no reason to ever see the Jaguars this low again. Pass-rushing in AFC South >>> STREAM ACTION SPORTS JAX 24/7 LIVE <<< Advertisement [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action Sports Jax 24/7 live.
