Danielle Hunter didn’t crack the top-10 in a recently compiled list of the best edge rushers in the NFL, but he did land in the honorable mention section.
The list was compiled by ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler after a group of coaches, scouts, players and league executives voted on who they believed belonged in the top-10 at the position.
Injuries likely played a role in Hunter failing to earn a spot in the rankings.
The two-time Pro Bowler missed all of 2020 with a neck injury, and after recording six sacks in seven games in 2021, he was sidelined with a season-ending torn pectoral muscle.
So there simply hasn’t been enough of Hunter on the field to really appreciate the back-to-back 14.5-sack seasons he put together prior to being bitten by the injury bug.
“A long-arm power guy. Greatest asset speed and length. Those things will always cause problems,” said an AFC coach, when asked about Hunter, via Fowler. “I did not think he should be what he is. He certainly proved me wrong.”
Perhaps Hunter can prove a lot of other people wrong when he returns to the field in 2022.
Not only is he healthy, but he’ll be playing across from another two-time Pro Bowler in Za’Darius Smith. Another elite pass-rusher opposing defenses have to worry about on the field will only make his job easier.
This could be the year that Hunter puts up the sort of stats that make the world remember.
