The intrigue and anticipation for the start of the 2024 NFL season is palpable with opening night on the doorstep. One of the most interesting teams to watch this season will be the Minnesota Vikings. They identified the 2024 NFL Draft as their time to grab fundamental “rebuilding” pieces in the first round, trading up multiple times, first to grab Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy with the 10th pick, then again from the 22nd spot (which they acquired in a trade with the Houston Texans originally) to draft Dallas Turner with the 17th pick.
McCarthy’s season ended before it began after discovering a torn meniscus in his right knee. With tons of attention paid to McCarthy and the quarterback position, Turner has taken a backseat. Still, the Vikings want him to be a foundational defensive piece for the future after trading up to get him. Turner was viewed as one of the best defensive prospects in the 2024 NFL draft and has a great opportunity to carve out a role in Brian Flores’ defense.
Turner showcased elite upside as a pass rusher while at Alabama with excellent first-step explosiveness, the athleticism to bend the edge after winning it, and the speed to close on the quarterback. The Vikings, essentially, swapped EDGE rushers this offseason losing Danielle Hunter to the Texans while signing Johnathan Greenard and adding Andrew Van Ginkel in free agency from the Dolphins. While both players are coming off career years in sack numbers, Turner has the talent to be the best pass rusher in Minnesota. Brian Flores does a great job getting one-on-ones for his players and during press conferences on Tuesday he had this to say about Turner’s role in the defense.
Flores: “we’ve got a role envisioned for Dallas (Turner) and we’ll see it play out but that can change. If he’s got the hot hand he’ll stay in”
— Matthew Coller (@MatthewColler) September 3, 2024
Flores on Turner: “nothing but positives… he’s like a sponge with that group… excited to see him play on Sunday”
— Matthew Coller (@MatthewColler) September 3, 2024
Turner is a great fit for the style of defense the Vikings want to play and not only has the speed to take advantage but the athletic ability to grow into an all-round player that is required of playing in Flores’ defense. He’ll be asked to go from setting the edge to rushing the passer and dropping into coverage at any time. It’s a tall task to ask of most EDGE players but Turner has the football IQ to accomplish it. He’s already flashed multiple times as a pass rusher in the preseason.
You can see the moment Dallas Turner hits the R2 button pic.twitter.com/O5rCPeUXYM
— JP Acosta (@acosta32_jp) August 11, 2024
Dallas Turner speed to power collapses the T. Two corner blitzers combined with that collapse, forces DTR out of the pocket and into schoolyard mode pic.twitter.com/jMpIBF2yHd
— Luke Braun (@LukeBraunNFL) August 18, 2024
While Turner isn’t listed as a starter for the Vikings with two experienced players being brought in to help the young man learn, it shouldn’t be long before Turner’s snaps begin to increase. A good performance in the season opener could go a long way to helping that cause. There’s even some added intrigue in his NFL debut against the Giants with former Alabama teammate Evan Neal. During Rose Bowl interviews last season, Turner detailed how during his freshman season, Neal drove him out of a play so far that you couldn’t see him on the practice film. While Neal said there were no hard feelings, and even credited Neal with helping him improve as a player, if Turner gets an opportunity to line up against his former teammate look for him to return the favor in one way or another.
