Feb 28, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Alabama linebacker Dallas Turner (LB26) speaks at a press conference at the NFL Scouting Combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.
The lack of Dallas Turner on the field has been a hot topic of discussion over the last couple of weeks. The Vikings rookie finally emerged from the shadows in Week 9, seeing much-increased game time in Minnesota’s win over Indianapolis.
With only seven defensive snaps over the previous two games, Turner was prematurely compared to the Vikings’ 2022 first-round draft bust, Lewis Cine. Being a first-round draft pick comes with pressure and expectations, but patience still needs to be exercised. A mix of good veteran players ahead of him, a complex defense to learn, and a slight knee injury early in the season has meant progress has been slow for Turner.
Sunday night saw Turner have the best game of his career so far with 26 snaps, nearly matching his total from the previous four games combined. He had 2 tackles, 4 pressures, 1 QB hit, and 1 run stop. The night’s highlight for Turner was when he blitzed from the slot on the Colts’ first drive of the second half, causing Joe Flacco to chuck the ball away for an incompletion hastily.
It was a promising display from the rookie, who garnered a 71.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus and a career-high 73.1 pass-rushing grade. In their weekly write-up grading every first-round pick, PFF had this to say of Turner’s performance;
Turner played his most reps since Week 1 and made the most of his opportunity. He set a new season high with four pressures while also making a stop in the run game. Interestingly, Turner played more on the offense’s right side this week than he had through the first eight. Brian Flores seems to also be finding a situational role for Turner where he can use him as a versatile blitzer. His usage will be interesting to monitor over the next few weeks.
Sunday night should be the template moving forward. Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel will remain — barring injury — the starting edge defenders this season, but Brian Flores must also find ways to sprinkle in plenty of Turner. Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Flores said Van Ginkel was a little banged up in Sunday’s game, which led to more playing time for Dallas Turner, and then they went with “the hot hand” and kept him on the field. The NFL is about grasping your opportunities when they come along — Turner did that on Sunday night.
Turner’s uptick in opportunity also coincided with a season-low defensive snaps for Patrick Jones – just 18 when he’d been getting 30+. Jones started the season with five sacks in the first four games but has gone quiet in recent weeks. He failed to register anything on the stat sheet against the Colts. Forcing his way ahead of Jones in the edge rotation should be Turner’s main goal this season.
Turner needs to keep delivering whenever his number is called over the remaining nine games. Most of the time, it will be on obvious passing downs, and he should be in plenty of blitz packages. That will include sometimes dropping into coverage because that’s all part of the Flores defense’s smoke and mirrors.
The Vikings travel to Jacksonville to take in the Jaguars in Week 10, where Turner will have his next chance to impress.