This offseason, the Detroit Lions need strengthen their porous pass defense. However, David Kenyon of Bleacher Report believed the Lions will accomplish it without having to leave the NFC North. Kenyon predicted that defensive end Danielle Hunter of the Minnesota Vikings will sign a three-year, $67 million contract with the Lions.
Hunter was guaranteed $51 million according to Kenyon’s forecast.
Hunter recorded a career-high 16.5 sacks in 2023, and he has recorded 10 or more sacks in five of his eight seasons, according to Kenyon. There has never been a greater value than his. Although Minnesota’s financial situation is unfortunate due to their own actions, the NFC North opponent Detroit Lions have a significant need for a pass rusher.
Hunter made second-team All-Pro in 2018. He’s also been a Pro Bowler in four of the past five seasons, including 2022 and 2023. In 2023, Hunter posted a career-high 16.5 sacks and led the NFL with 23 tackles for loss. He also had 22 quarterback hits and 4 forced fumbles.
How Danielle Hunter Could Fit With the Lions Although he will turn 32 years old before the end of a 3-year contract, Hunter makes a lot of sense for Detroit. The Lions were first in a lot of analytic pass rushing categories last season such as pressure rate, hurry percentage and quarterback knockdown rate. However, they were tied for 23rd in sacks with 41. Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson and defensive tackle Alim McNeill combined to tally 16.5 of those 41 sacks. No other Lions defender had more than 3. Landing Hunter would give the Lions a Pro Bowl level edge rusher opposite Hutchinson. Hunter’s presence should raise Hutchinson’s level of play, leading to potentially 30-35 sacks between the two rushers alone.
In his eight years in the NFL, Hunter has five times recorded double-digit sacks. He has only failed to reach 10 sacks in the previous five years once, in 2021, when he appeared in just 7 games.
James Houston, a second-year defender, was anticipated to be Hutchinson’s complementary edge rusher going into 2023. However, Houston’s ankle injury from Week 2 kept him out of action for the majority of the 2023 campaign.
