The Vikings’ Next Defensive Star Might Finally Be Here
As reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Minnesota Vikings are exploring the trade market for defensive standout Jonathan Greenard. The pass rusher signed with the Vikings two years ago as Danielle Hunter’s replacement.
If he’s out, Brian Flores’ unit would miss one of its key players. Fortunately, his successor is already around and could continue to thrive in Greenard’s role. That man is Dallas Turner, a 2024 1st-round pick.
While everyone was focused on quarterback J.J. McCarthy, his Draft classmate Turner was actually making major strides in the second half of his sophomore season. He benefitted from the five games Greenard missed with a shoulder injury, and the ones he appeared in when the veteran was clearly not at his full strength.
In his rookie season, Turner played a limited role as a rotational piece behind Pro Bowlers Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel, as well as backup Patrick Jones. His output, therefore, was fairly quiet, as he tabulated 20 tackles and 3 sacks.
In his second season as a pro, Turner appeared in all 17 games, making 10 starts. He logged 8 sacks, 66 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and perhaps the best aspect of his numbers, a whopping 4 forced fumbles.
Earlier in the season, Turner stepped into the starting unit in place of Van Ginkel, who was slowed down by a neck injury and missed several games. Van Ginkel’s role is unique, with frequent coverage responsibilities, while Greenard operates primarily as a designated pass rusher. Turner appeared more comfortable in Greenard’s role, where he was able to consistently attack off the edge and maximize his burst.
“Turner,” PFF’s Dalton Wasserman recently wrote, “may have finally found his footing during the second half of this season. From Weeks 10 through 18, the former first-round pick racked up 24 pressures and seven sacks while ranking 16th among qualified edge rushers in PFF pass-rush grade (76.5). Turner also seemed to find further comfort in run defense, which could make him a more viable three-down player in 2026.”
Turner was flying off the edge in Greenard’s position. The explosiveness has always been there, but it’s fun to watch a young player turn that into production. He also provided solid help in the running game, something not all young edge defenders can do.
Coming out of college, Turner had outstanding physical tools, as evidenced by a 4.46-second 40-yard dash. He was raw as a pass-rusher, and perhaps still is, but he’s slowly but surely growing.
In the second half of the season, he undoubtedly looked like a future difference-maker.
What makes Turner’s trajectory especially encouraging is how quickly the game seemed to slow down for him. Early in his rookie year, he relied almost exclusively on pure speed. By December, he was mixing in counters, adjusting his rush angles, and showing better discipline, setting the edge. That kind of refinement usually takes years, not months.
Flores also began trusting him in bigger moments. Turner wasn’t just cleaning up plays — he was creating them. Forced fumbles, third-down pressures, drive-killing sacks — those are impact snaps. The Vikings didn’t draft him to be a rotational spark; they drafted him to tilt games.
If Greenard truly moves on, this won’t just be about replacing production. It will be about accelerating Turner’s arrival as a centerpiece defender rather than a complementary one.
With Greenard possibly leaving, the Vikings would hand the keys to Turner. Sure, they would acquire another veteran or even spend Draft capital on a rookie, but it’s unlikely that the new acquisition would be slotted ahead of Turner on the depth chart.
The 23-year-old was an expensive player to lure to the Twin Cities. First, the Vikings traded a pair of 2nd-rounders for the 23rd overall pick. That was expected to be used in a trade-up for a quarterback. However, the Vikings couldn’t land Drake Maye and only required a smaller trade for J.J. McCarthy. Suddenly, they were stuck at 23.
They didn’t stay there, however. Instead, the front office struck a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars for pick 17. According to most trade charts, the Vikings used the value of two 1st-round picks to draft Turner.
So far, he has clearly not been worth that kind of investment, but an elevated role could bring him in position to change that. In the second half of the year, he certainly looked like a foundational piece on the defense for years to come.
Still only 23 years old, the sky is the limit for the young defender.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
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