Vikings first-round pick Dallas Turner played nearly as many defensive snaps against the Colts on Sunday night (26) as he did in the previous four games combined (31). After barely seeing the field against the Lions and Rams, Turner was given the opportunity to be a big part of the outside linebacker rotation and took advantage with the best game of his young career.
Turner did a little bit of everything in his 26 photos. He rushed the passer 11 times and recorded a career-high four pressures per PFF. He had a QB hit on an unblocked blitz from a nickel alignment and almost got to Joe Flacco a few times late in the game on sacks by his teammates. He also had two tackles on nine snaps in run defense and dropped into coverage on six snaps. The end result was a very solid PFF grade of 71.3 for Turner, whose athleticism was on display.
Dallas Turner blitzes from the secondary, while both linebackers jump from the middle to replace pic.twitter.com/W2orP0ZW94
— Andrew Krammer (@Andrew_Krammer) November 4, 2024
“There were some flashes in the pass rush and just the activity, solid in the run game,” Kevin O’Connell said of Turner. “We wanted to make sure he was a little more involved in the game and he showed up. I thought it was a performance that I wasn’t surprised by… I thought it was a really great step in the right direction for Dallas and a which I think he will build on. It’s still early in his career and he’s learning and getting better every day, but a talented player, athletic, you can see that when you turn on the tape.”
It was certainly an encouraging sign for the No. 17 overall pick out of Alabama, who made just four appearances against Detroit and three in Los Angeles. For whatever reason, the Vikings released Turner in this game, giving him more snaps than Pat Jones II, who played a season-low 18. It was the most playing time Turner has seen since recording his first career sack on 35 snaps in the league. season opener against the Giants.
It’s important to remember that Turner is only 21 years old. The first half of his rookie season has gotten off to a fairly slow start, but if Sunday night is any indication, he could be ready to make a real impact in the second half of the season as he finds his feet in the NFL. The tools and benefits are undeniably present.