It is important not to take developments at OTAs too seriously. A lot can change between late May/early June and the first week of September. With that said, offseason workouts can provide legitimate hints about how a coaching staff feels about certain players.
While the Dallas Cowboys are still in the early stages of OTAs, a new addition to the team is turning heads in just the second practice open to the media.
For the second practice in a row that reporters were able to attend, defensive end Payton Turner got reps with the first-team defense. Cowboys staff writer Tommy Yarrish noted that Dallas deployed a heavy rotation on defense, but it is notable nonetheless that Turner is already seeing first-team action.
New Cowboys DE Payton Turner practicing with the first-team defense at OTAs
Turner is undoubtedly benefitting from Micah Parsons' absence. While Parsons has maintained communication with Brian Schottenheimer, he's been in and out of the building this offseason while he waits to sign a likely record-setting contract extension.
Parsons' absence opens a spot at one of the DE spots. Even without Parsons, though, Turner had to contend with veteran Dante Fowler, second-year pro Marshawn Kneeland and rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku, who has arguably the most hype of any Cowboys rookie.
The group is crowded even without Parsons and former second-round pick Sam Williams, who spent Thursday's practice with the rehab group as he works his way back from a torn ACL suffered in training camp last year.
Its a promising start for Turner, who never caught on with the Saints before the Cowboys signed him as an unrestricted free agent in March.
A first-round pick out of Houston in 2021, Turner was limited to just 15 games over his first three games due to injury. He only has five sacks in 31 career games, but potentially turned a corner last season with 13 pressures, four batted passes that ranked third among DEs and a 9.7% pass-rush win rate that was better than Chauncey Golston, Carl Lawson, Azeez Ojulari and Leonard Floyd, per PFF.
That is admittedly a very small sample size, but Turner showed much better efficiency relative to his first two seasons.
Parsons' absence could end up benefitting the entire defensive line in the long run. Turner might top that list based on what Cowboys reporters are noticing from OTAs.
