Danielle Hunter Discussion

The three-year veteran turned plenty of heads during spring drills showing off his physique. Working out during the winter in Houston with notable trainer James Cooper, who also trains former Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, Hunter put on five pounds of muscle to get up to 260.

Hunter will report to training camp along with other Minnesota veterans July 26. That gives him more than a month to work with Cooper in an effort to look even more buff.

“I feel like a few more pounds can be good,’’ Hunter said. “My goal was to just gain weight (during the offseason). I thought I was a little bit too light last year.’’

Hunter still managed to lead the Vikings with 12 1/2 sacks even though he didn’t start a single game. This season, though, Hunter is a good bet to move into the lineup as the replacement for Brian Robison, a starter since 2011.

As Brian Robison enters his 11th season with the Vikings, his 56 career sacks place him in a tie for ninth all-time in franchise history and as the leader among current players.

The defensive end has brought productivity and a relentless work ethic to Minnesota since being drafted in the fourth round in 2007 out of the University of Texas.

But the longest-tenured Viking has also taken on a bigger leadership role in the past few years, a topic Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press recently wrote about.

Krawczynski wrote that Robison’s mentorship of fellow defensive end Danielle Hunter has impressed many around the organization, including Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer.

As younger and more potent pass rushers have been added to the defensive line over the past few years, Robison's playing time has been reduced. But his impact remains significant.

"Probably as good as I have been around," Zimmer said when asked about how Robison is handling a changing role. "He said he would do anything he could to help this football team. I think he understands that Danielle is a very talented guy. ... He did things the correct way, like a true professional."