3.89 - MIN: Cameron Dantzler DB/Mississippi State

[Ozzy]

The start of this video is epic, funny stuff!  But great performance by him, active, tackled well, blitzed off the corner, was competitive and really fought out there.  Wish there was more pass coverage clips in this video but kid can ball and is a great pickup.  Not scared at corner and has natural ball and cover skills for a long corner.  The 40 time at the combine is why he dropped, no doubt about it.  

 

[Klomp]

9 hours ago, RpMc said:

 

Second connection between a current player and a draft pick for us this year

[vikingsrule]

8 minutes ago, Klomp said:

Second connection between a current player and a draft pick for us this year

Considering it seems there a select few states that are football factories, im sure there’s lots of connections like this across the league. How many players come from Florida, Texas, the south in general?

[RpMc]

Looks like he might have his number.

[Krauser]

Very happy with this pick too. 

They need 4 corners better than Boyd was last year, and they came into the draft with 2.

Dantzler will be competing with Holton Hill for the CB3 role (outside corner in nickel). I like Hill a lot more as a rotational CB4 than asking him to play 40 snaps a game as the CB3.  Hill is OK but a fairly limited player — IIRC, his college tape at Texas was almost all zone, and he’s played mostly off coverage with the Vikings.

Dantzler by contrast is very good at playing press. The Vikings haven’t done much of that since Rhodes started to decline (Waynes was never good at it, and it’s not Hughes’ game).

Despite Zimmer’s reputation as a CB whisperer, the cornerbacks have been the weak spot on his defense since 2018. Newman retired and Rhodes fell off badly. Waynes was OK but never developed into a blue chip starter: too often a beat slow in changing directions, and unable to make a play on the ball, even when in good position.

Dantzler, like Alexander, Hughes and Gladney (every premium corner they’ve taken since Waynes) is really sticky in coverage, and good at making plays on the ball. And unlike those 3, he’s tall.

He’s also worryingly skinny. I guess that might be a problem in the run and screen games, but he seems tough and willing to stick his nose in, which is all you can ask  

I don’t know if Dantzler’s long speed will hold up in the NFL (though the play where he bumps and runs stride for stride with Chase from LSU suggests it should), but if so, I’d love to see him covering outside WR1s, especially in the red zone. Davante Adams has scored a few too many easy short yardage TDs against the Vikings. Hopefully Dantzler can take that away.

Weird but true — despite losing Rhodes, Waynes and Alexander, the Vikings may have actually upgraded at corner from last year. 

Edited April 26, 2020 by Krauser

[Taylor0026]

Rhodes was a beast for a couple of years ( Sendjeo probably shorten that? and to many hits), Wayne's problem was always his agility, tested really low if I recall and it showed.  Dantzler is skinny true.  Looks like the kid has confidence though match that with Gladney and hopefully a improved Hughes and Hill as you say as a 4th CB add in Boyd and Hands It shouldn't shape up too bad.    But CB position is lacking in one word EXPERICNE!!!!!

[perrynoid]

On 4/24/2020 at 10:51 PM, CriminalMind said:

This guy needs to eat beans and meat.
Fair selection, no complains.
 

Yeah, he could sure use a shot of super-soldier  serum, that's for sure!

[VikeManDan]

59 minutes ago, perrynoid said:

Yeah, he could sure use a shot of super-soldier  serum, that's for sure!

Put him on the Ben Bartch smoothie and a 5x5 program!!!

[SemperFeist]

 

[RpMc]

Love me some Ben Leber breakdowns.

[whitehops]

I honestly might be most intrigued by this pick. his tape is as good as any corner's in the draft but his athletic testing/profile isn't NFL-calibre. will his intelligence/attitude/technique win out and he'll be a good corner, will his lack of athleticism be too much to overcome at the next level or will he land somewhere in between?

 

I think he'll be good in our division though, his height/tenacity should be enough to give all the big receivers fits. Kenny Golladay, Davante Adams, Allen Robinson, Marvin Jones Jr., MVS plus a lot of the depth WRs in this division are 6'2+ so at least Dantzler won't be completely at a disadvantage. 

[Purplepride323]

On 4/30/2020 at 12:51 PM, whitehops said:

I honestly might be most intrigued by this pick. his tape is as good as any corner's in the draft but his athletic testing/profile isn't NFL-calibre. will his intelligence/attitude/technique win out and he'll be a good corner, will his lack of athleticism be too much to overcome at the next level or will he land somewhere in between?

 

I think he'll be good in our division though, his height/tenacity should be enough to give all the big receivers fits. Kenny Golladay, Davante Adams, Allen Robinson, Marvin Jones Jr., MVS plus a lot of the depth WRs in this division are 6'2+ so at least Dantzler won't be completely at a disadvantage. 

Yeah when I saw him lock down Ja’Marr Chase (who would’ve likely been the first WR taken if he was able to declare this year) I was like man I hope the Vikings get this guy. Seems like a perfect fit in Zimmer’s defense. I think he’s going to be a steal. A lot of mock drafts had him in the second round so we got second round value in the third, that also fills a need. Great pick right there. 

Edited December 9, 2020 by Purplepride323

[Klomp]

 

[Klomp]

 

[Krauser]

Bercich's film review is pretty good: 

...though to be fair,  considering the title is about Dantzler's "alleged lack of speed", the only clip here that shows his long speed is the go route from Chase (LSU), a great college receiver but not the fastest guy in the league.

The coverage skills he shows contesting quick in-breaking routes is very encouraging. That's NFL quality stuff.