Vikings Expecting Huge Jump from One Player
The Minnesota Vikings have turned their attention to spring and summer activities this week after a fruitful NFL draft and undrafted free agency haul last week.
Vikings Expecting Huge Jump from One Player
Rookie minicamp gets underway May 8th as the offseason’s next stop, but before that, the team’s coaches and players spoke to the media.
Along the way, head coach Kevin O’Connell claimed one Viking will make a “huge jump” in 2025 — outside linebacker Dallas Turner.
Kevin O’Connell on Dallas Turner’s “Huge Jump” in 2025
O’Connell spoke with NFL Network last weekend and was sure to mention Turner, his second-year pass rusher chosen from Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft.
“I hope people haven’t forgotten about Dallas Turner. Really, a guy that I’m expecting a huge jump from, year one to year two. He really started to come on as the season went on last year. It’s a tough group, tough lineup to crack when you’ve got those top two guys playing the way that they were,” O’Connell said.
And O’Connell is right. Turner played 300 defensive snaps in 2024 — about 30% of the time — and he performed quite well when called upon.
“Too Many” Productive OLBs in 2025
Why have folks forgotten about Turner, the theory from O’Connell? Simple — Turner’s teammates, Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel, played “too well” in 2024. Both men reached their first-ever Pro Bowl last season, and taking them off the field merely to get Turner more action would’ve been gridiron malpractice.
Greenard and Van Ginkel were “unbenchable” in 2024. Plain and simple.
The Vikings spent a small fortune to draft Turner, thanks to a splashy trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and when such a trade occurs, well, fans want that player to contribute on Day One. It’s just that Greenard and Van Ginkel had other plans.
Vikings.com on Turner
Vikings.com’s Rob Kleifield wrote about Turner when the 2024 season ended: “The 17th overall pick and third defensive player chosen in last year’s draft had a sort of redshirt year. Turner received more than half of the team’s snaps on defense in a single contest — the opener at the Giants, where he had a sack — then reverted to the shadows through the game at Los Angeles on Thursday Night Football, topping out at 18 snaps (26%) in Week 2 and bottoming at 3 (4%) in Week 8.”
“Finally, Turner cracked through the rotation against Indianapolis, playing 48% of the snaps. He fit somewhere between 20% and 49% the rest of the way. But, again, he assumed a teeny-tiny role (eight snaps) in the club’s Wild Card loss, an absence that was magnified by Verse’s dramatic scoop-and-score.”
Turner remains one of the youngest players on the Vikings’ roster, even with 25 rookies in the house.
Kleifeld added, “The reality is Minnesota had champagne problems at outside linebacker in 2024 – in other words, too great of depth and impact from seasoned players to really fret over Turner’s lack of regular playing time. When Turner was used, however sparingly relative to the whole group, he was hard to miss.”
“We note the age — folks, Turner was a 2003 baby and is turning TWENTY-TWO on Feb. 2 — because it’s relevant; it’s important; it’s an element that factors into Turner’s mental acumen and physical launchpad, and it’s a major reason to be bullish on him as he garners tips and tricks from Greenard and Van Ginkel. Our verdict, gleaned through limited reps and conversation, is Turner is capable of being the real deal.”
Path Cleared for Turner’s Breakout
How will Turner’s role change this autumn? Two players who “stole” Turner’s snaps, at times in 2024, no longer work for the Vikings.
The team has not re-signed Jihad Ward, a depth defensive lineman who joined the purple team for one year last offseason. Patrick Jones II, who spent four years with the Vikings, signed with the Carolina Panthers during free agency’s first week.
In short, Turner will be the third pass rusher next to Greenard and Van Ginkel.
Turner’s Teammate Extended
Speaking of Van Ginkel, don’t expect him to depart the organization soon.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah extended Van Ginkel’s contract on Tuesday, adding another season to his deal, along with $23 million in extra funds.
Van Ginkel is now attached to the purple roster through the end of 2026.
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