The Minnesota Vikings have been talking up one of their 2024 first-round draft picks this offseason, and it’s not quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
EDGE Dallas Turner took a back seat to veterans Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel during his rookie season, playing just 28% of Minnesota’s defensive snaps, per Pro Football Reference.
While head coach Kevin O’Connell has hinted at an increased role for Turner in Year 2, exactly how he’s deployed along with Minnesota’s pair of established starters remains to be seen.
If Turner, a player the Vikings paid a hefty price to land with the 17th overall pick in 2024, fades to the background once again in Brian Flores’ defense, Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder is ready to slap the “bust” label on the former Alabama Crimson Tide star.
“Van Ginkel is coming off a career year with a personal-best 11.5 sacks to earn a Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro bid. Meanwhile, Greenard has had back-to-back double-digit sack campaigns, logging 12 in 2024 while also making the Pro Bowl,” Holder wrote. “So, Turner has an uphill battle to crack the starting lineup and could have a tough time seeing the field again.”
Turner struggled in the limited reps he got last season, generating only 12 total QB pressures on 310 total snaps. He helped the team on special teams, but that’s not how your typical first-round EDGE rusher is deployed as a rookie. In Minnesota’s playoff loss to the L.A. Rams in Arizona, Turner played 12 snaps on teams compared to just eight on defense.
Still, it’s way too early to be labeling Turner as a bust. We haven’t seen him play enough yet, and the 22-year-old has reportedly gotten more first-team reps than a year ago throughout OTAs and minicamp.
Flores will likely be scheming Greenard, Van Ginkel and Turner on the field together a lot more in 2025. That should open up a ton of opportunities for Turner to make plays and prove he was worth Minnesota’s investment.
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