Report: Jaguars ‘Are Another Team To Watch’ for Vikings’ Danielle Hunter

Could the Jaguars really pursue Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter?

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been tied to Minnesota Vikings pass-rusher Danielle Hunter two different times in the past 12 months. 

So, what's a third time? 

In an ESPN article about rumors and other rumblings from Super Bowl week in Las Vegas, the question of Hunter's future as a projected free-agent was posed. And once again, the Jaguars found themselves in the mix. 

"The sense I get here in Vegas is that Danielle Hunter will be hard for the Vikings to keep. He will have a very strong market, he turned 29 in October, and several teams had interest at the trade deadline," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said. 

"Chicago could look to add a pass-rusher to complement Montez Sweat in free agency and is very high on Hunter. The Jacksonville Jaguars are another team to watch, though they have to figure out Josh Allen's future."

The Jaguars were linked to Hunter twice in 2023: during training camp and around the trade deadline, though the Jaguars ultimately stood pat and made a trade with the Vikings for guard Ezra Cleveland, with Jacksonville sending just a sixth-round pick in return.

Jacksonville drafted Travon Walker with the No. 1 pick in 2022 and has a major decision facing them with 2019 first-rounder Josh Allen, which means this is one rumor that may be hard to fully buy. 

Allen doesn't currently have a long-term deal with the Jaguars, though general manager Trent Baalke said in January that Allen would be with the Jaguars in 2024. Whether that means on a new deal or via the franchise tag remains to be seen, but that does mean defensive end is a bit cluttered for the Jaguars, at least in terms of their starting depth.

If the Jaguars were truly interested in Hunter, it does beg the question of why the Jaguars made no moves to improve their pass rush during the entirety of the 2023 offseason and season. 

"Again, we felt we had Dawuane [Smoot] coming back off injury, we knew he was coming back. We drafted a young man that we had a vision for. We had Chaisson [OLB K’Lavon Chassion] in the last year of his deal," Baalke said. 

"Moreso looking back at during the season, what we could’ve done to upgrade the roster, are there moves we could’ve made? Once again, I don’t live in the past. I don’t live in regret. But we’ve got to continue to look at those things and you’re never done trying to make your team better and more competitive.”