5 breakout stars to watch for the Minnesota Vikings in 2021
60. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Cameron Dantzler. player. CB . Vikings. 2
Injuries and a stint on the reserve/COVID-19 list hampered Dantzler through the first half of his rookie season, as he played in 11 games and started 10. And as might be expected of a rookie cornerback, he was targeted heavily–the second-highest rate in the league according to Pro Football Focus (4.9 coverage snaps per target). But in yards per coverage snap he was a much better 27th in the league (1.52), and he did not commit a penalty all season (601 total snaps, according to Pro Football Reference).
Cameron Dantzler had himself an impressive rookie campaign. Here are his season grades among NFL CBs:
— PFF MIN Vikings (@PFF_Vikings) March 25, 2021
- 70.9 overall, ranked 22nd
- 68.5 run defense, 27th
- 62.1 tackling, 38th
- 69.8 coverage, 24th
- 94.0 passer rating allowed when targeted, 40th best pic.twitter.com/81UKFm1VHE
Dantzler’s return from a concussion in Week 11 marked a turning point in his rookie season, for the better. From Week 11-Week 17 (six games, since he missed Week 17), he was PFF’s fourth-ranked cornerback with the third-best passer rating when target over the span (41.9).
Dantzler suffered what appeared to be a serious injury Week 8 at Green Bay. Once he returned in Week 11, he was one of the best CBs in football for the remainder of the season ⬇️ https://t.co/PD9cAowMMj
— PFF MIN Vikings (@PFF_Vikings) March 25, 2021
The signings of Peterson and Alexander brought some much-needed experience back to the Vikings’ depth chart at cornerback. But Dantzler is still in line for a prominent role. When it’s all said and done, he just might cement himself as the best cornerback on the team until further notice with a healthy breakout in his second season.