Shemar Turner, EDGE, Texas A&M
Size:
Height: 6031
Weight: 290
Arm: 33 ⅝”
Hand: 10 ¼”
Accomplishments:
Second-Team All-SEC (2023)
“Shemar Turner has a rare combination of size, athleticism, and quickness that makes him an alignment-versatile defensive lineman with the upside of being a dominant defensive lineman in the NFL.”
Strengths:
Quick, explosive first step
Position/alignment-versatile
Fluid mover/good change of direction
Length
Overall mass
Concerns:
Improve pass-rush repertoire
Plays with high pad level
Consistency as an IDL run defender
Film Analysis:
Shemar Turner is a former five-star prospect who has consistently increased his snap share in a deep and talented Texas A&M defensive line rotation. Turner has played every position along the defensive line from 0-tech to on the edge as a stand-up edge rusher. Turner's production comes via what appears to be a unique combination of size, strength, and athleticism where he can serve the role of a movement piece to take advantage of certain matchups along the defensive line. Throughout his career, Turner has shown that he can line up as an EDGE and get sack production or play the IDL position and provide valuable reps as a run defender.
Against the run, Turner has multiple ways in which he can win and be a productive part of a defense. Lined up as an edge rusher, Turner has the functional strength to quickly set the edge and force any run back inside to the help of the defense. As an interior defensive lineman, Turner has a quick first step and is best when working upfield to get penetration and disrupt the play. Texas A&M uses slants and Turner does well using his athleticism to cross the face of the offensive lineman and quickly get into a gap. Because of Turner's size and athleticism, he becomes a difficult block for offensive linemen when he attacks upfield getting penetration.
Rushing the quarterback, Turner is very multiple in his usage. Aligned on the edge, Turner can rush from a two or three-point stance. Turner has a quick first step upfield and can work strictly speed around the edge or he can convert speed to power and collapse the pocket to get to the quarterback. Turner uses his hands to counter an offensive lineman's initial hand usage. Rushing as an interior defensive lineman appears to be Turner's most athletically advantageous alignment. He has the quickness to beat interior often offensive linemen and become a disruptive pass rusher. Turner has the athleticism to quickly get upfield and get penetration, and he has hand counters along with counter moves to win. Turner's change of direction and reactionary athleticism also show in how he quickly redirects and finds different ways to win.
Turner's improvement as a player is simply working on the detailed elements of him both as a pass rusher and run defender. Because Turner is utilized in so many different ways and alignments, it appears that it reduces his ability to work on the details of his technique. In the run game, Turner can become more consistent in his technique as an IDL to consistently win. As a pass rusher, he can win based solely on his physical traits, but he can improve the percentage of his wins if he becomes more detailed in his pass-rush counters, developing true pass-rush plans and counters.
Overall, Turner is a physically gifted defensive lineman who can play multiple positions along the line, but he may benefit from focusing on one position to work on the details of that position and become more consistently dominant.
Prospect Projection: Day 3 — Developmental Traits
Written By: Keith Sanchez
Exposures: Notre Dame (2024), LSU (2024), South Carolina (2024), Texas (2024), Alabama (2023), Arkansas (2023), Ole Miss (2023), Missouri (2023)
