Breakout Opportunity Arises for Vikings Youngster
The wait for a real breakout game from Dallas Turner continues, but the Vikings’ 2024 first-rounder may never get a better opportunity than Sunday night.
VikingsTerritory looks at the breakout opportunity ahead for the Vikings’ 2024 first-round pick, Dallas Turner.
The news is that All-Pro edge defender Andrew Van Ginkel won’t make Sunday night’s game against the Atlanta Falcons, as he remains in concussion protocol. Turner gets the chance to take on a starting role for the Vikings for the first time. Not only did Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard come in and play at an extremely high level last season, but they were also ever-present, not missing a single game during their first season in Minnesota.
Finally, Turner gets the chance to take on a starter’s role opposite Greenard, setting the stage for the most significant opportunity of his career to date. Turner had plenty of opportunity in the Week 1 win in Chicago, playing on 29 defensive snaps. That was the most he has played since Week 1 of last season. Turner’s playing time last season dropped off, with the occasional spike of opportunity.
After a solid first game of the season, where he was effective in run defense and managed a couple of QB pressures, Turner couldn’t ask for a better opportunity to build on that performance and stake his claim for continued high usage on Brian Flores’ defense. To quote Kevin O’Connell, “Dallas will clearly take on a bigger role. That snap count’s gonna go up this week and should stay up.”
Vikings Have Faith in Their First Round Pick
Jared Verse, who the Los Angeles Rams selected two picks after the Vikings took Turner, was named Defensive Rookie of the Year and to the Pro Bowl last season. He outsnapped Turner and subsequently outproduced him.
In 2024. It hasn’t been an explosive start to life in the NFL for last year’s 17th overall pick. However, Vikings staff, led by O’Connell, have stood steadfast in their belief that Turner will come good, and they continued this week.
“I can promise you guys that my excitement for Dallas Turner, every time I’ve had a chance to talk with you since really the first day of the offseason program, has been real, it’s been authentic, it’s been genuine,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said on Friday. “I’m so excited for him.”
Turner comes up against a middle-of-the-pack offensive line that lost starting right tackle, Kalen McGary, for the season with a leg injury before the season had even begun. Atlanta has a couple of veteran tackles on the edge in Jake Matthews and Elijah Wilkinson. It won’t be an easy night for Turner, but he could face many more formidable opponents as opportunity knocks.
Now Turner has to take his chance with both hands: a two-sack game would make people sit up and take notice. Whether it’s something as flashy as that or not, Turner just needs to have a good, solid game and prove he can hold down a starting role — initially, until Van Ginkel returns, and then with one eye on the future.
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