The Vikings struggled at cornerback throughout 2020, but by the end of the year, Cameron Dantzler had emerged as a promising player.
Dantzler struggled staying healthy at the beginning of the season. But the rookie eventually found a way to stay on the field and stay on his man in coverage, tallying two interceptions, four passes defended, and a PFF grade of 70.9.
In a year where a plethora of rookie cornerbacks were beaten up and down the field, Dantzler showed he was one of the best first-year defensive backs. PFF took notice, and not just with his overall grade: the outlet named him the Vikings’ most underrated player. Here’s what Sam Monson of PFF wrote:
“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.”
Now, Minnesota needs Dantzler to put it together for an entire year. He will presumably be a starter out wide with fellow CB Patrick Peterson. The Vikings have revamped their defense, but the team also needs some players to progress now that they have more NFL experience. Dantzler is one of those players.
