Analysis
10/19/23
5 min read
2023 NFL Trade Deadline: Why Danielle Hunter Should Be Hot Commodity
Any NFL team in contention for a playoff berth and needs a push to get to the next level should take a strong look at trading for Minnesota Vikings DE Danielle Hunter.
Pass rushers can have a major impact on the team that acquires them. Look at what Von Miller did for the Los Angeles Rams when they made that midseason trade in 2021. He was a critical acquisition who helped propel them to win a Super Bowl. The Denver Broncos moved another edge rusher, Bradley Chubb, last year before the trade deadline to the Miami Dolphins.
Looking at both trades, they turned out to be win-win situations.
For Miller, the Rams traded a second-round pick and a third-round pick in 2022 to the Broncos. Miller won a second Super Bowl then signed a six-year, $120 million contract with the Buffalo Bills.
The Dolphins acquired Chubb and a fifth-round pick in 2025 for San Francisco's 2023 first-round pick, a fourth-round pick in 2024 and RB Chase Edmonds. The Broncos then traded the first-rounder to the New Orleans Saints for the right to hire coach Sean Payton. Chubb re-signed with the Dolphins for five years and $110 million.
Getting to Know Danielle Hunter
Hunter is a player I'm very familiar with. We drafted him in the third round in 2015. The reason he lasted that long was he did not have a lot of sack production at LSU. He only registered 4.5 total sacks in his three-year collegiate career.
Our scouts and coaches fell in love with his untapped potential. There was no question about his combination of unique size (6-foot-5, 260-plus pounds), speed and athleticism. That was evident on the tape evaluation and at his pro day. It was just a matter of developing that untapped potential.
The more time we spent around Danielle during the pre-draft process the stronger we felt about him. His passion for the game, work ethic and drive to reach his full potential stood out during the interview process. Those traits helped him become a three-time Pro Bowl pick who has 79 career sacks.
.@DHunt94_TX ends the drive with his 2nd sack of the afternoon.
📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/eEpN23GH0b
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 15, 2023
He is tied with T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers for the NFL sack lead with eight. Hunter had 10.5 sacks last season and has had double-digit sack production in four of his eight seasons. He missed the 2020 season because of a neck injury, but he recovered and returned to the Pro Bowl after the 2022 season.
Active Sack Leaders
| Player | Sacks | Years |
| Von Miller, BUF | 123.5 | 2011-23 |
| Cameron Jordan, NO | 116.5 | 2011-23 |
| Chandler Jones, unsigned | 112 | 2012-23 |
| Justin Houston, CAR | 112 | 2011-23 |
| Aaron Donald, LAR | 105.5 | 2014-23 |
| Calais Campbell, ATL | 100 | 2008-23 |
| Khalil Mack, LAC | 91.5 | 2014-23 |
| T.J. Watt, PIT | 85.5 | 2017-23 |
| Myles Garrett, CLE | 80 | 2017-23 |
| Danielle Hunter, MIN | 79 | 2015-23 |
What Is a Logical Trade Destination?
There are plenty of teams that should be interested in acquiring Hunter, who turns 29 on Oct. 29, before the trade deadline.
The team that would benefit the most is the Jacksonville Jaguars. The AFC South leaders are on a three-game win streak and have several things going for them. They have a franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, good skill-position players such as RB Travis Etienne and receivers Calvin Ridley and Christian Kirk as well as a defense that has played better this season.
The Jaguars advanced to the Divisional Round last season with a comeback victory against the Los Angeles Chargers in the wild-card round before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Edge Josh Allen leads the Jaguars with seven sacks, but the pass-rush production trails off considerably after him. Travon Walker, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft, has 2.5 sacks. Another former first-rounder, LB K’Lavon Chaisson, has two sacks. Acquiring Hunter would be a huge boost to the Jaguars' pass rush.
How to Make a Hunter Trade Work
A trade between Minnesota and Jacksonville would require some creativity, considering Hunter's contract.
Hunter is owed $17 million this season on the final year of his contract and carries a cap number of $20,953,333. That reflects his $10 million base salary and a per-game roster bonus of $1.5 million for a $11.5 guaranteed salary. That is added to the prorated amount of his bonus is $9,453,333 (which would stay on Minnesota's cap).
The Jaguars have $6,713,533 of cap space, and they would be responsible for the $11.5 million portion of Hunter's cap hit. That would put Jacksonville $4,786,447 over the cap. So at first glance, the Jaguars can't afford Hunter.
However, there are some ways the Jaguars could fit Hunter under the cap. These include:
- Include a player in the trade who could help minimize the cap hit from Hunter's contract. Chaisson, for example, carries a $4,246,012 cap hit, which would get Jacksonville close.
- The Jaguars could convert either Hunter's or other players' existing salaries into signing bonuses.
- They could cut players to free up space.
- Or they could negotiate with the Vikings, who possess nearly $8 million in cap space, to take on more of Hunter's salary in the trade.
This type of power move would help the Jaguars close the gap on the Chiefs, Bills, Cincinnati Bengals and the Miami Dolphins in the hyper-competitive AFC.
Danielle Hunter is the type of difference-making player worth pursuing.
Rick Spielman is a former general manager of the Dolphins and Vikings, and winner of the NFL Executive of the Year award by Pro Football Weekly in 2017. Follow him on Twitter @spielman_rick
