Minnesota Vikings pass rusher Danielle Hunter could be had in a trade, according to reports. Could the Denver Broncos make a competitive offer? Another Viking, another George Paton connection that may make a ton of sense for the Denver Broncos.
Hunter, 28, is yet another veteran Vikings player who was brought in during the last regime. Current Vikings' GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has cleaned house a bit this offseason in what is a clear roster turnover. Minnesota appears to be building toward the future but at the same time trying to remain competitive.
The team parted ways with both Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook this offseason, and Hunter, their 2015 third-round draft pick, could be on the move next, according to some reports. Hunter and the Vikings have been unable at this point to agree to a long-term extension, and teams have called the Vikings about the stud player.
He turns 29 in late October, so age is not quite a concern yet. Danielle Hunter is also very, very good at sacking the quarterback. Let's look at some potential trade packages that the Broncos could offer to try and land Hunter.
Denver Broncos: Three legitimate trade packages for Danielle Hunter
The first trade package is a slew of late-round draft picks, which I don't hate. The "hit" rate on these draft picks are typically very low, so I wouldn't feel bad if Denver gave away draft picks that never usually pan out in the NFL more than a quality backup type of role.
Denver also avoids giving up potentially a second-round pick, which I think is the absolute most he'd go for. They keep their top draft picks in 2024 and beyond, add an elite pass rusher, and don't further drain their draft pick cupboard all that much.
This trade would obviously have to come with a long-term extension as well, and I'm a firm believer in any team being able to, for the most part, sign who they want as I think the cap space in the NFL is very easy to manipulate.
Denver Broncos: Three legitimate trade packages for Danielle Hunter
This one might anger some Broncos fans. Quinn Meinerz quietly turned into one of the best guards in football last year, but he doesn't play nearly as valuable of a position as Hunter does. With Meinerz having a clear age difference from Hunter, part of me thinks Denver would have to include a draft pick to sweeten the deal.
The Broncos could then perhaps pivot to the free agent market to see if there's another guard that could fill in, but I do think Denver's offensive line is one of the most talented in the NFL, so would it be the end of the world if the Broncos traded Meinerz? As much as I like the player, I don't think so.
For this trade, I swap two pass rushers but also include a draft pick to make the trade fairer overall. Browning is an encouraging young player and could fit exactly what the Vikings would want. However, trading Browning straight up for Hunter would not be a trade that the Vikings would even begin to entertain.
I added in a 2025 third-round pick to sweeten the deal, and perhaps if all goes south, that third-round pick is closer to the top than the bottom, but obviously, that's something that none of us would want to see.
The Denver Broncos pass rush in 2023 would then feature Randy Gregory, Danielle Hunter, Frank Clark, Jonathon Cooper, and Nik Bonitto. That would be a stellar room.