Ravens could trade for Danielle Hunter this offseason

The Baltimore Ravens could acquire Minnesota Vikings’ Danielle Hunter to revamp their pass rush for the 2022 season.

The Vikings’ defensive end has the potential to be Baltimore’s most dominant edge rusher, adding much-needed experience to the Ravens’ fledgling position group.

Justin Houston might not be back in 2022, and the team still hasn’t recovered from Matthew Judon and Yannick Ngakoue leaving for new teams prior to the 2021 season.

Rather than pick up another developmental talent in the draft, the Ravens could solidify the pass-rushing unit with a veteran face.

Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine listed every NFL team’s ideal offseason trade scenario, and for the Ravens that involves trading for a certain seasoned pass-rusher.

"“Danielle Hunter has proven to be that guy when healthy. He missed all of 2020 because of neck surgery and only played in seven games this season before suffering a torn pectoral muscle that ended his season. But in those seven games, he had six sacks—enough to rank No. 2 on the team in Baltimore.”"

The Ravens may have defensive end Danielle Hunter on their radar for 2022

Hunter’s recent injury history may be somewhat alarming, but all signs point to a smooth road to recovery for Hunter in 2022.

The two-time Pro Bowler is coming off his sixth season in Minnesota and has recorded double-digit sacks in each of three seasons. When healthy, Hunter has the potential to transform the Ravens’ pass-rush, working alongside Tyus Bowser and Odafe Oweh to secure the edge.

Trading Hunter would save the Vikings, who are already over the cap, nearly $19 million of his $26 million cap hit, and it wouldn’t be too difficult for the Ravens to absorb his salary.

The downside, of course, is that Baltimore would likely have to fork over draft capital for Hunter, and given the Ravens’ preferred model of drafting and developing young players, the team may not want to give up what it would take to acquire him.

The pass rush nonetheless remains a prime position of need heading into the 2022 season and having a prolific sack artist like Hunter would take pressure off the offense and potentially lead the Ravens’ defense back into the top-five of the league.

Other “ideal” scenarios could play out for Baltimore this offseason — Bradley Bozeman could return, or Tyrann Mathieu could sign with the Ravens. Bringing on Danielle Hunter to improve the pass-rushing unit would be as smart a move as any.