Should Minnesota Vikings Fans Be Worried About Dallas Turner?
After some moving and grooving in the offseason, the Minnesota Vikings went into the 2024 NFL Draft with a pair of first round picks. The thought, at the time, was extreme flexibility. No matter what happened ahead of them, they had the draft capital to get their QB of the future.
When general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah got head coach Kevin O’Connell his quarterback at pick 10, without giving up the Vikings’ other first rounder, he shifted his focus to Brian Flores’ defense. The target: Alabama’s Dallas Turner, who was widely considered the best defensive player on the entire draft board.
It took multiple future mid-round picks, to move up for the 2nd time that night, but Kwesi got Flo his guy at No. 17 overall. Immediately, Turner was labeled as a Defensive Rookie of the Year favorite. But then, the season started, and ‘slow start’ might be putting it lightly.
Are we worried about Minnesota Vikings EDGE Dallas Turner?
Turner has topped 50% of Vikings’ defensive snaps just one time all season. To be fair, he played 46% of the snaps vs Indianapolis, so count that, if you’d like. So… let’s address the elephant in the room, because consternation seems to be building. Should we be worried about Dallas Turner?
It doesn’t take much digging to realize what Turner’s biggest obstacle to playing time is, with the Minnesota Vikings. It’s the play of the veteran EDGE rushers ahead of him on the depth chart, especially Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel.
Meanwhile, Turner recorded only 12 snaps vs the Titans. But again, it would be difficult for any rookie to find the field, in Turner’s circumstances. The dominance of the three EDGE rushers mentioned above leaves very little room for Turner to contribute on any given Sunday.
Greenard continues to put up exceptional pass rush win rates, and his seven sacks are tracking toward a career-high. On the other side of the DL, Van Ginkel is in play for the Defensive Player of the Year award, and his eight sacks are already a career-best. Unless one of them is physically unable to perform, they simply aren’t coming off the field. And for good reason.
Turner’s lack of opportunity isn’t really his fault
Opportunity needs to combine with production, at some point, for Turner to get his NFL career off the ground. He has just eight tackles through nine games, as a rookie. You’d love to see more from a first round pick, but let’s not forget how the Vikings bolstered their depth in the offseason.
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Dallas Turner was a great rookie addition, but he was always going to compete with Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel for playing time, and both guys are having career seasons. In other words, the Vikings 1st round pick remains a high-upside prospect in Minnesota, who continues to develop behind the scenes, as the guys ahead of him on the depth chart ball out.
Sure, the Vikings sent former first round pick Lewis Cine packing, before his third season even got started. The safety dealt with a career-altering injury, but also struggled to grasp the NFL game and approach it like a professional. But Dallas Turner is not Lewis Cine. Not every premier draft pick has the same opportunity, out of the gate.
Sometimes plans change, and that could certainly be true for the Minnesota Vikings edge rushing group. This past offseason Brian Flores had to replace both sides of his pass rushers. Danielle Hunter took the big payday with the Houston Texans. Marcus Davenport was done before the season ended, and he was never coming back.
Outside pass rushers are some of the most important people on a football field, every weekend, no matter what level. Kwesi & Co wanted to make sure the 2024 Vikings had a requisite group, after Hunter walked.
Not even he thought they’d hit on every single addition, to the point where their first round rookie cannot find the field. But… here we are. So don’t worry, Minnesota Vikings fans, this is what those in the business would call a “good problem to have.”
