When the Minnesota Vikings submitted the card to choose edge defender Dallas Turner with the No. 17 overall choice, there was a lot of enthusiasm in the draft room. It made defensive coordinator Brian Flores smile, he said.
If Turner turns out to be their “most dangerous new addition,” as Bleacher Report’s Ryan Fowler surmises, Flores’ response might be more than warranted.
Turner had moments of quietness while at Alabama, but his bend and explosiveness should serve him well in the NFL. Although he has to work on his early downs, Fowler observed on May 26 that “he has the athleticism to play the fringe areas and a skill set that could evolve into something special.
” “Turner working off Greenard… is really intriguing.” “Veteran free-agent additions Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard should help lighten the load for him as well.”
At Alabama the previous season, the 6-foot-4 Turner recorded 10.0 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss. He might be filling in for Danielle Hunter, who passed away (Houston Texans). Hunter’s 16.5 sacks from the previous season was a career best.
Pass described Dallas Turner as “Impactful.”
Last season, Van Ginkel (6.0 sacks) and Rusher Greenard (12.5 sacks) both set career highs. Turner, though, has the potential to make a real impact off the edge.
“Elongated and robust, possessing the explosive qualities essential to emerge as a significant NFL pass rusher.”
While Turner’s exceptional closing burst and first-step quickness are valuable assets, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlien noted in his pre-draft assessment of Turner that “he still needs to work on his process from Point A to Point B.”
In order to unleash his burst and outpace tackles with his speed, a team would be smart to widen him out and give him a longer runway. He gained twenty pounds since moving to Alabama, yet he occasionally finds it difficult to set a strong edge or stack and shed run blocks.
Turner’s inconsistent “attacking angle” was noted by Zeirlien. However, he might be in an excellent learning environment with the combative Flores.
According to Pro Football Reference, the Vikings blitzed a league-high 51.5% of the time in the previous season.
Dallas Turner Pick Gave the Vikings Laughs and Tears
“I’m not a big smile guy, but I’ve been smiling these last 24 hours,” Flores remarked on May 20 in a video that the team released that included clips from the draft. “Considering how many texts I received after we acquired him, he was high on our draft board and probably high on many other draft boards as well.”
Turner was the target of the Vikings’ pre-draft deal with the Texans for the No. 23 overall pick. However, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the general manager, urged that they advance for Turner.
