The Minnesota Vikings selected Alabama edge Dallas Turner with the 17th pick in the NFL Draft to shore up a leaky defense. Turner steps in after Minnesota lost its two best edges, Danielle Hunter and D.J. Wonnum, to free agency.
Dallas Turner is a Thoroughbred
An explosive player, Turner is one of the elite defenders in the 2024 draft class. He may also be the best pure athlete of this year’s prospects. Turner can pressure the quarterback with either speed or a bull rush. He plays angry, which seems to motivate his play. He also improved as a defender against the run in his years at Tuscaloosa.
He produced monster stats last year for the Crimson Tide. He recorded 10 sacks and 14.5 tackles for a loss. For his work, he was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
Saban on Turner
“This guy’s quiet, but he’s a great leader,” his former coach Nick Saban said of Turner during ABC’s draft coverage. “He sets a great example. He works hard every day in practice. He has position flexibility. People keep comparing him to Will Anderson; he’s more like Dont’a Hightower. He went inside, he got outside, we stood him up, he’s a good rusher. He can take gaps inside. So I think the versatility is phenomenal.”
The Vikings hope that he can make an immediate impact in defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ pressure packages. He joins new Vikings edges Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel on the team’s newly revamped defensive line.
Is Turner a Steal for the Minnesota Vikings?
The early word is that Turner is considered one of the steals of the draft? The Minnesota Vikings certainly hope so. With their shortage of high draft picks this year, the team has to make the most of its opportunities. At this point, Minnesota and the rest of the league appear to approve of the pick. Vikings fans certainly hope that he strikes fear in the hearts and minds of opposition quarterbacks this fall.
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Greg Simbeck covers a variety of topics for Total Apex Sports. Greg has covered sports, public affairs, and entertainment for numerous publications over the years.
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