Minnesota Vikings training camp is underway, and we have some early camp standouts, such as pass-rusher Jonathan Greenard, who seems […]
Minnesota Vikings training camp is underway, and we have some early camp standouts, such as pass-rusher Jonathan Greenard, who seems to be even more disruptive than in his Pro Bowl season. Jordan Addison is regularly on the receiving end of a deep bomb.
Dallas Turner Is Dominating the Conversation
Those two guys, however, have been good in the past, so it’s not too surprising to see them shine. Dallas Turner, a 2024 first-rounder, is coming off an underwhelming rookie season. Unsurprisingly, folks watched closely to start this camp, but evaluating a player in the trenches is tricky when the linemen wear shorts.
Well, on Monday, the purple crew put on some pads, and the fans in attendance got to watch the sophomore in action. What they saw was fantastic.
The Athletic’s Alec Lewis noted via social media, “Dallas Turner was on one today, too. Looked very good.”
That fits Will Ragatz’ judgment, who wrote on in his always-detailed training camp notes on SI.com: “Dallas Turner, last year’s No. 17 overall selection, showed up to Minnesota’s offseason program earlier this year in phenomenal shape and really turned heads with his play during minicamp.”
A dynamic athlete coming out of Alabama, he was still just 21 years old in his rookie year and required some patience, something that isn’t handed out easily in today’s NFL (or society).
“All he’s done over the first week of training camp is continue that momentum,” Ragatz added. “Turner was one of the main standouts of Monday’s practice, which was the first of camp with the players in full pads. He broke out a spin move to beat his opponent in 1-on-1 drills. He had a rep on a run play in 11-on-11 that was so physical that the backup tackle blocking him wound up in the backfield without a helmet. One play later, Turner burst around that player for a would-be sack. Facing the first-team offense later in practice, Turner made an athletic, Andrew Van Ginkel-esque play to break up a screen pass.”
Turner appeared in 17 games in his rookie season (including a brief appearance in the postseason) and recorded 21 tackles, three sacks, and one interception, playing just over 300 defensive snaps. He displayed his otherworldly athleticism a few times, but couldn’t make a lasting impact with Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard hogging the snaps at outside linebacker. Now-departed defender Patrick Jones was also in the mix.
That makes two beat writers. Count in Dane Mizutani of the Twin Cities Pioneer Press, who fired off a tweet, saying, “Dallas Turner was an absolute monster.” He added in his practice article: “Nobody had a better practice than edge rusher Dallas Turner.”
Turner’s role will grow in year two because of Jones’ departure. His rise can also help the two starters rest without a huge dropoff up front. In addition to that, both Turner and Van Ginkel can line up as off-ball linebackers, further giving Turner extra opportunities.
Also consider ESPN’s Kevin Seifert: “If there was a standout player in the Vikings’ first full-pads practice of the summer, it was linebacker Dallas Turner. Turner, the second of the Vikings’ two first-round picks in 2024, notched a sack of quarterback J.J. McCarthy and also tipped a pass in the flat, nearly turning it into an interception.”
Monday’s explosion came after Greenard, as well as coaches Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores, tried to establish that their young friend had worked all offseason on his craft, and he succeeded.
They claimed he got “bigger, stronger, and faster.”
Looks like they were right.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
