Danielle Hunter to Minnesota: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

There's no question that the Minnesota Vikings love athletes, but they really put that commitment to the test when drafting Danielle Hunter, a raw prospect from LSU whose production doesn't astound but whose athletic makeup does.

As an athlete, his combine scores compare closest to Khalil Mack and Justin Houston, and he's the fourth rookie the Vikings have taken who has met the "force players" standard for productive NFL athletes along the defensive line.

Player	40 Time	10 Time	Bench	Vertical	Broad	Shuttle	Cone
Danielle Hunter	4.57	1.58	25	36.5"	10'10"	4.31	6.95
Avg 250-255lb DE	4.73	1.61	22	33"	9'10"	4.38	7.19

His athleticism scores are astounding, and they show up on the field in flashes, which is one reason the Vikings were enamored with the idea of picking Hunter. His official combine measurements had his arms at 34.25 inches, but the Vikings themselves found a measurement closer to 35.5 inches, according to general manager Rick Spielman in a press conference I attended.

If the official number is correct, it's still one of the longest arms at his position in the draft class, behind only Lynden Trail (34.875), Corey Crawford (34.5) and Frank Clark (34.325). If the Vikings' measurements are closer, Hunter wins the competition outright.

Knowing that wingspan measurements tend to be more consistent, the data provided by NFLDraftScout.com's Dane Brugler in his draft guide indicates that Hunter is fourth behind Crawford (85 inches), Trey Flowers (84.5 inches) and Clark (83.875 inches) with a reach of 83.25 inches from the tip of his middle finger on one hand to the tip of his middle finger on the other.

That body type is rare, but when combined with the fastest 10-yard split in the class at the position (1.57 seconds, even faster than Bud Dupree) and one of the fastest 40-yard dash times at 4.57 seconds, as well as a sub-7.0 second three-cone, and the Vikings have a recipe for one of the most uncommon bodies in the draft, built in a way as if it were designed to rush the passer.

With the frame to pack on more weight, head coach Zimmer might want Hunter to get closer to Everson Griffen's 273 pounds, as he historically has had defensive ends of 265 pounds or more.

Hunter has a natural understanding of the advantages his frame provides, too. He consistently long-arms blockers and it's one of the reasons he's such a powerful run defender—he knows how to use his length to set the edge and shed blocks at the right time.

Often when we understand an edge rusher to be raw, it's easy to assume that they are not a very aware player or don't have very good film when it comes to run defense. That may be true in most cases, but in Hunter's specific case is not.

He understands not just the situational likelihoods that come with down-and-distance, but how to read the offensive lineman in front of him to figure out if it's a run, pass or screen. That kind of awareness can be invaluable, especially in Zimmer's scheme, which requires that defensive ends set the edge before rushing the passer. The ability to recognize whether or not the play is a run or pass early on is crucial in that respect.

The Jamaican immigrant plays with a lot of punch and power, and his awareness doesn't just let him react quickly to run/pass splits, but also to win the initial battle at the line of scrimmage by punching first. And when he punches first, he punches hard, having rocked back a few offensive linemen at LSU.

His agility shows up on the field too, and he's been able to slide across gaps while engaged in order to meet the runner, playing with quickness and balance. When blocked into unusual angles, Hunter can stay on his feet and reset.

For a player that has only played football for five years (two in high school, three at LSU), he shows remarkable savvy in knowing when not to rush on passing downs as well, and has a number of pass deflections to his name; an ability that comes from a combination of timing and length.

Still, the word you'll hear first with Hunter is "raw" and it's the correct word to describe who he is. He has virtually no pass-rushing moves and doesn't know what to do with his hands in the passing game other than the basic fact that he should hit other players.

Mike Stewart/Associated Press

It's one of the two reasons why his production at LSU is so low. Over the last two years, he's only accumulated 4.5 sacks, registering only 1.5 this last year. His tackle-for-loss production isn't bad for an edge defender, but neither is it astounding—he had 13.0 TFLs this year and 21.0 over the last two.

The other reason his production is low has to do with the scheme at LSU, which is not friendly to edge defender production. Hunter would often play as a "base" defensive end, or 5-technique, on a number of downs, and control the gap in front of him instead of shoot it (much like Seattle did in 2012 before Gus Bradley left).

Consider the last two edge rushers drafted from LSU: Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery. Neither hit double-digit sacks, and Mingo's final year, he only had 4.5. Both had worse tackle-for-loss numbers than Hunter and fewer pass deflections (who had six last year).

Hunter really doesn't know how to get to the quarterback, and it limits his ability to get on the field for at least a year, likely two. He will be a developmental defensive end that will hope to have the kind of career arc that Everson Griffen is having. It's certainly within his potential.