Pro Football Focus Names Most Underrated Viking
Dustin Baker
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Whether it was performance, solo player output, or anything football-related at all, not much about the Minnesota Vikings 2020 season was underrated.
The team was picked by sportsbooks to win about 9 to 10 games — the same forecast as the Green Bay Packers — but Mike Zimmer’s team instead tallied its worst year to date under his reign. Minnesota finished 7-9 after a terrible 1-5 start to the season, closing out the campaign with a topsy-turvy 6-4 record in the final 10 games.
The season was chalked up to “oh well” and a slew of injuries, but now Zimmer is out of pardons. Minnesota was kicked in the teeth with defensive injuries during 2020, causing the 64-year-old Zimmer to piecemeal several starting lineup solutions that would ordinarily be reserved for preseason games.
Gems were discovered, however. The rookie class comprised of Justin Jefferson, Jeff Gladney, Ezra Cleveland, among others. Those players performed astutely. Jefferson even finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting while garnering an All-Pro designation — a rarity for a rookie (and any player at all regardless of age).
But Pro Football Focus considers cornerback Cameron Dantzler the most underrated player on the Vikings current roster. Dantzler was drafted in the 3rd Round of the 2020 NFL Draft, and he was tapped to start immediately as Minnesota watched free-agent exoduses of Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, and Mackensie Alexander (who has since returned to the Vikings) really hit home.
And Dantzler was fabulous. PFF analyzed every NFL team’s most underrated player, mentioning these thoughts on Dantzler:
“Dantzler fell to the third round of the draft a year ago despite having first-round tape because he was extremely lightweight and struggled to run well when he added weight during the process. He had ups and downs as a rookie but put up multiple single-game PFF grades above 90.0 and forced his way into the starting lineup.“
The Mississippi State product even encountered a moment in the middle of the season when it appeared his career might be over. He fell injured in Green Bay during a Vikings win, laying totally motionless on Lambeau Field. The instant prognosis was grim, but Dantzler returned to action a few weeks later.
Then, he played like a maniac. Dantzler’s 70.9 PFF grade ranked as 22nd-best in the entire league for cornerbacks — and #1 overall among rookies. That is — Dantzler can be fairly classified as the best rookie corner in the NFL.
Dantzler wound up playing 56% of all defensive snaps for the Vikings in 2020, generating a respectable 92.8 passer-rating-against stat from opposing quarterbacks. He also nabbed two interceptions and registered three tackles-for-loss.
Now, Dantzler will be called on for greater duty. His running mate from 2020, Jeff Gladney, is likely facing suspension for an assault incident in Texas this summer. Mike Hughes — a former 1st-round pick by the Vikings — was traded on Thursday to the Kansas City Chiefs for peanuts. The 2021 arrangement will be one that includes Dantzler, Patrick Peterson, the aforementioned Alexander, Kris Boyd, Harrison Hand, and rookie Camryn Bynum.
Unless Gladney is handed a get out of jaill free card, Danztler cannot afford to experience a sophomore slump.