Adam Thielen singles out Cameron Dantzler as breakout star at Vikings practice

Cameron Danztler has caught Adam Thielen’s eye at Vikings camp.

The Minnesota Vikings could be positioned for a major step in the right direction in 2020. While veterans like Kirk Cousins and Adam Thielen should help keep the offense rolling after losing Kevin Stefanski and Stefon Diggs, their defense just got a major injection of youth in the draft due to Minnesota’s stockpile of picks. The Vikings absolutely stole Mississippi State cornerback Cameron Dantzler in the third round of the draft, as evidenced by how the huge, lanky corner is impressing at practice so far.

Thielen took the time to single out Dantzler’s standout performance after one day of practice, claiming that the former Bulldog, who is wearing No. 27 in the pros, is going to be “really good.”

Cameron Dantzler was dominant during his time at Mississippi State.

College quarterbacks who threw the ball at Dantzler had a 43.6 passer rating over his last two seasons in Starkville. Dantzler might have fallen in the draft due to his slight 188-pound frame and slow 40-yard dash times at the NFL combine, but his tape showed a 6-2, long-limbed corner with tremendous ball skills, range in zone coverage and stickiness on vertical routes.

Even though the Vikings picked TCU corner Jeff Gladney in the first round due to the fact he is a bit more versatile and better in man coverage, Dantzler has more than enough talent to assume a starting role as a rookie. If he’s earning Thielen’s respect on Day 1, the sky is the limit for Dantzler.

Zimmer, a gruff, defensive head coach who got his start as a defensive backs coach with the dominant Dallas Cowboys of the 1990s, might need to see more from Dantzler than one nice play in a padded scrimmage. Still, Dantzler seemed a touch on the raw side coming out of college, and he’s already making plays in the pros.