Early Splashes Encouraging for Cameron Dantzler's Progression

[Viktor]

"I have to give the credit to my coaches. They put me in a great position to make a play," Dantzler said. "I just did my job and made a play on the ball. Kirk saw a guy open and me just doing my read, doing my job, doing my one-eleventh and just made a play on the ball."


After the play on Thielen, the wide receiver approached Zimmer and said, "No. 27's going to be really good."


Dantzler is among a handful of Vikings cornerbacks in the mix for ample playing time, a group that includes Mike Hughes, Holton Hill, Kris Boyd and Jeff Gladney.


And while that group has showed off their talent by making plenty of plays so far in camp, those five players also have nine combined starts in the NFL, all of them by Hughes and Hill.


Dantzler said he has felt comfortable in practice so far, but knows his progression must continue as the Vikings are now less than three weeks from the season opener against Green Bay.


"The speed of the game is very fast, way different from college. They have better quarterbacks that can read keys, veteran receivers that run great routes, offensive linemen who are in great shape and they can come out and block the corner," Dantzler said. "Me just getting adjusted to the new game speed has been very exciting for me being out there and being able to run around.


Since we [won't have] preseason [games], we just treat every practice like it's a preseason game," Dantzler added. "We go out there and work out technique and try out best to make it look like a game situation. We just go out there and just do what we have to do."


Dantzler, who is 6-foot-2 and 188 pounds, had plenty of success in college.


He started 22 of 35 games for the Bulldogs, allowing just 36 catches for 459 yards on 568 pass coverage snaps. He tallied five interceptions, along with 108 career tackles, six tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.


They key now for Dantzler, said Vikings Co-Defensive Coordinator Andre Patterson, is to keep stacking those good days on top of one another.


If that happens, Dantzler could be one of many impact rookies for the Vikings in 2020.


"That's exciting," Patterson said of Dantzler's early showings in camp. "Now the key is, 'Can you keep doing it? Can you be consistent?' All of those young corners are working hard and they've all got talent.


"The key now is, 'Can they do it play after play after play?' That's the key in the NFL, to have consistency," Patterson added. "That's what we're working on now, to make sure they're consistent and can do that kind of thing rep after rep."