There’s No Reason To Be Concerned About Dallas Turner
Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
When the Minnesota Vikings sold the farm to move back into the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft to select Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner, fans were expecting him to be an immediate contributor for Brain Flores’ defense. There were even some nationally who thought he had “Micah Parsons” level potential. At the time, Andrew Van Ginkel was recovering from a foot injury he suffered towards the end of the 2023 season when he was still a member of the Miami Dolphins. So it wasn’t farfetched to suggest that Turner would start alongside Jonathan Greenard, with Van Ginkel serving as the team’s third pass rusher. Minnesota was primed to see their next edge dominate out of the gate.
In hindsight, that idea seems silly given how valuable Van Ginkel has been for the Vikings. Nevertheless, Turner entered the organization with the high expectation of becoming the next Danielle Hunter placed on him. Similar to Hunter, the prized rookie is an uber-athletic edge rusher who plays with a level of physicality that is capable of giving opposing offensive tackles nightmares. Unfortunately, we have yet to witness much of it, with Turner hardly seeing the field.
As a ROOKIE Jared Verse is 6th in total pressures and 9th in hurries per PFF.
This guy is gonna be a serious problem for years to come. So many pass rush moves. PS don’t block him with a TE. #Vikings #TNF pic.twitter.com/YUfd9OwXqg
— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) October 25, 2024
Turner only has 122 snaps under his belt, which is the second-fewest among all rookie first-round edge rushers. He’s posted a measly three pressures and one sack through the midway point of the season and finds himself squarely behind Laiatu Latu, Jared Verse, and Chop Robinson in total pressures and sacks. Adding insult to injury is the fact that Verse was selected two picks after Turner and currently leads all rookies with 24 pressures and 4.5 sacks.
With all of the above on their minds, some Vikings fans have started to voice concern.
Given Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s poor track record thus far in the first round of the draft, you can’t fault anyone who feels rather uneasy about Turner’s current trajectory. One would assume that a player with the pedigree of Dallas would at least be able to beat out Patrick Jones II. Out of all 122 edge rushers who played at least 216 snaps during the 2023 season, Jones II ranked 121st.
Some have gone so far as to start to compare the former Crimson Tide standout to Lewis Cine. They both came from powerhouse SEC programs and were renowned for their rare athleticism and the violent nature in which they played. Cine’s biggest flaw was his understanding of the game, and that was made apparent when he reached the NFL and, according to Ben Leber, couldn’t pick up the playbook. Similarly, Turner’s biggest flaw, as the youngest edge rusher drafted in the first round, is that he’s still learning the nuances of the position.
But have no fear Viking faithful, that’s where the similarities end.
We have seen no indication that Turner is struggling to grasp concepts and therefore in Brian Flores’ doghouse. Matter of fact, Flores went out of his way to praise Turner publicly, even promising that he’d see increased playing time.
“I think he’s done a great job, I think he’s a young player, I think he’s got a bright future,” Flores said in Week 8. “We’ve heard the talk about the snap counts, and I think it’s just hard to make a determination on a player and what he is based on seven games, especially early in his career. I think Dallas is going to be just fine. I think everybody kind of wants everything right now. He does, too. Like, he wants to be out there. And we’ll get him out there.”
The reality is that this team has brought so much trauma on the fan base that loyalists start to prepare for the worst-case scenario as a way to protect themselves from getting their hearts broken. Kwesi drafting Turner over Verse isn’t going to become the newest edition of picking Cine over Kyle Hamilton
Fans who expected Turner to become a Day 1 starter were focused more on Van Ginkel’s foot injury and the Vikings’ success developing edge rushers, rather than where Turner actually is in his development. The reason Kwesi drafted Turner over Verse is because Turner’s potential is much higher than any other edge rusher in that draft class. Verse is already 24 years old and will be a year away from 30 when he gets his second contract, not to mention he doesn’t have the raw athleticism to play coverage at a high level.
Turner is the only outside linebacker in this draft class who is not only young enough to earn a second contract during his prime, but also athletic enough to be a versatile chess piece in Brian Flores’ defense. Flores values guys like Greenard and Van Ginkel, who can rush the passer and drop back into coverage at a high level, and Turner fits that mold better than anyone else from his draft class. He may need more time to develop, but Turner will ultimately be the most well-rounded edge rusher from his draft class in the long run.
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