Danielle Hunter has somehow gotten into better shape

Danielle Hunter is in the final year of his rookie contract with the Minnesota Vikings, and with the going rate for young, athletic defensive ends is in this league, he knows that he’s potentially in for a big payday at some point in the very near future. To that end, the guy that’s already built like the proverbial brick outhouse has, somehow, gotten himself into even better shape this year, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

“I’m stronger,” Hunter said this week during organized team activities. “I’m much more quicker. Last year, I had put on weight (from 255 pounds in 2016), so now my body is used to it. … I went down there (to train in Houston), and I just focused. It’s as simple as that.”

Hunter was the Vikings’ third-round pick in 2015, and led the Vikings in sacks in 2016 with 12.5 despite being just a part-time player. He took over the starting job at left defensive end this past season, and though his sack numbers went down, he was still a big part of one of the best defensive lines in the National Football League.

With the Vikings having a number of players that are up for contract extensions over the course of the next few months, it appears that Hunter is doing whatever he can to put himself in a position to get one of those extensions. It’s tough to imagine a Danielle Hunter that’s even stronger and more athletic than the one we’ve seen over the past three seasons. If it’s true, however, woe be to any offensive tackle that has to block that guy in 2018.

I think we can all agree that Danielle Hunter is going to be a very rich young man in the very near future. I think we’re also all hoping that the team that makes him very rich will be the Minnesota Vikings. Do you think he’s going to earn that big extension from Zygi Wilf and company?