The Vikings traded up in the first round for Dallas Turner last year, but his usage did not reflect the team’s apparent excitement about his talent.
Turner only played 300 defensive snaps as a rookie, notching three sacks and three tackles for loss across 16 games with a core role on special teams. He was blocked by the stellar play of the Vikings’ edge duo of Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel, who combined for 23.5 sacks and 36 tackles for loss while both playing more than 80% of the team’s defensive snaps. Both Greenard and Van Ginkel earned Pro Bowl recognition and Defensive Player of the Year votes for their efforts, so their snap shares are unlikely go to down by much, if at all.
As a result, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores may have to get creative to get Turner on the field, which may include some time as an off-ball linebacker, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic.
“Identifying where Turner is lining up — and how much he’s contributing from an off-the-ball starting point — is a major question worth examining in the coming months,” wrote Lewis after the Vikings wrapped their spring practices.
Turner’s 6-foot-3, 247-pound frame is undersized for an NFL edge defender, but he has excellent size for a linebacker with the requisite movement skills to work from an off-ball alignment. His bigger challenge will be adjusting to the visual and mental processing in the middle of the field after spending virtually all of his career as an edge defender. Turner’s athleticism can be used to attack downhill, but his discipline and vision in coverage and run fits will be key.
It’s also important to note that teams like to experiment in spring practices, which are not necessarily indicative of what will happen in the season. Turner’s off-ball activities could be a step toward a hybrid role in 2025, or it could be an effort to give him some experience at a new position so he can line up there in case of emergency.
