Inside The Vikings

Can Vikings Rookie D.J. Wonnum Become the Next Danielle Hunter?

The fourth-round pick out of South Carolina is Andre Patterson's next great project.

Will Ragatz

As we count down the days until the Vikings' opener against the Packers on September 13th, InsideTheVikings will be previewing every single player on the roster. The amount of days remaining corresponds with the jersey number of the player being examined on that day. Today is July 18th, and there are 57 days until kickoff for the 2020 regular season. That means it's time to look at an athletic rookie pass rusher.

Countdown to Vikings-Packers on September 13th: 57 Days

Player Previews: D.J. Wonnum (No. 57, Defensive End)

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  • College: South Carolina
  • Drafted: 2020 fourth round (117th overall)
  • NFL experience: N/A
  • Age: 22 (Turns 23 in October)
  • Size: 6'5", 258
  • 2019 stats (NCAA): 37 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF
  • Career stats (NCAA): 137 tackles, 29.5 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR

With their first pick on the third day of this year's NFL draft, the Vikings surprised a lot of people by taking a player who was seen as a reach at that point. Former South Carolina defensive end D.J. Wonnum was ranked 180th on the consensus big board compiled by Arif Hasan, but the Vikings selected him 117th with plenty of other intriguing pass rushers still on the board.

The reason? Andre Patterson wanted him. The Vikings' longtime defensive line coach and current co-defensive coordinator has earned the right to pound the table for "his guy," and this year that player was Wonnum.

“I think we all have trust in Andre Patterson,” Spielman added. “He usually has some pet cats that may not be well known, but he has a history with taking guys that are not well known that have the physical traits we’re looking for.”

The most obvious recent example of Patterson turning a middle-round pick into a star is – of course – Danielle Hunter. Hunter had just 4.5 sacks at LSU, but Patterson took him under his wing and helped develop him into one of the best pass rushers in the league.

Wonnum has some obvious similarities to Hunter in terms of size, build, and traits. Like Hunter, he didn't have a highly productive college career. But even though Patterson deserves the benefit of the doubt, there are a few reasons to be skeptical that he can strike gold again.

A native of Stone Mountain, GA (15 miles east of Atlanta), Wonnum was a three-star recruit coming out of high school. South Carolina was the only SEC team to give him an offer, which presumably made his college decision an easy one. Wonnum played in all 13 games as a true freshman, recording 3.5 tackles for loss with 1.5 sacks. He then broke out as a sophomore with 57 tackles, 13 TFLs, six sacks, and five pass breakups. 

Heading into his junior season, Wonnum was beginning to generate buzz as a potential early-round pick in 2019 or 2020. Unfortunately, injuries limited him to just five games in 2018. Wonnum bounced back a bit as a senior with 9.5 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, and multiple forced turnovers, but he wasn't able to match his sophomore year from a production standpoint.

Wonnum posted strong numbers at the combine, with a 4.73 40-yard dash and good jumps. The main thing that generates the comparisons to Hunter, though, is his size. Wonnum is 6'5", 258 with 34-inch arms and 10.5-inch hands. Hunter is 6'5", 252 with 34.25-inch arms and 10.5-inch hands. Wonnum uses that length and explosiveness to attack offensive tackles with speed and burst. He has an intense motor and good leadership qualities, having been a rare sophomore captain at South Carolina.

However, there are also some notable differences when it comes to the Wonnum-Hunter comparison. Hunter posted elite numbers in just about every single test at the combine. He beats Wonnum significantly in the 40 (4.57 to 4.73), the three-cone drill (6.95 to 7.25), and the bench press (25 reps to 20), among others.

There's a reason Wonnum was a polarizing prospect who was given a seventh-round grade by some analysts. He doesn't have great flexibility, struggles at times as a run defender, and has little to no counter moves as a pass rusher. He's not particularly powerful and wasn't consistently impactful at the college level. Wonnum needs a lot of improvement from a technique standpoint, and while he's a great athlete, he's not a superhuman like Hunter.

Patterson has said that he doesn't want Wonnum to be the next Hunter. 

"I'm excited about this young man," Patterson said of Wonnum. "He's long, he's athletic, he can run, but most importantly, he's very smart. I know everyone out there is trying to compare him to Danielle Hunter because their numbers are similar. I don't want him to be the next Danielle Hunter; I'm not trying to make him the next Danielle Hunter. I'm trying to make him the best D.J. Wonnum that he can be. And I think if we can get that to happen, all of us will be very happy to have this guy on our team."

The Vikings' starting defensive ends in 2020 are Hunter and Ifeadi Odenigbo. But with Everson Griffen and Stephen Weatherly gone, Wonnum will compete with players like Anthony Zettel, Kenny Willekes, and Eddie Yarbrough to become part of the rotation on passing downs.

On the surface, Wonnum doesn't necessarily have the upside to become an NFL starter, much less a star. But if there's one thing we've learned over the years, it's to never doubt Andre Patterson.

Other DE player previews:

You can find every single player preview to date – plus other offseason content – in this handy spreadsheet.

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Will Ragatz
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