3 best NFL fits for top edge rush prospect Dallas Turner in the 2024 NFL Draft
Dallas Turner will emerge as a young defender of one of these 3 NFL teams.
When it comes to pure athleticism and explosion coming off the edge, Dallas Turner is the top pass rush prospects entering the 2024 NFL Draft. Projected to go in the top 10 and be the first defensive player off the board, the SEC Defensive Player of the Year will make an impact on whichever team drafts him.
With a combination of size, power, speed and instinct, the 6-foot-3, 247-pound Turner is destined to be the next great Alabama player to enter the NFL. In a final season with the Crimson Tide, Turner was tied for eighth in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) with 10 sacks. He also compiled 53 tackles in 14 games as the leader and team captain of that Alabama defense.
Dallas Turner has the talent to be an impactful NFL star
Will that leadership, along with the dominance off the edge translate to the NFL?
It’s going to depend on the team and what Turner is asked to do as a rookie. He has the tools to make an impact but may need some time to make some adjustments in technique and approach.
In a scouting analysis, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein writes:
“Long and athletic with the explosive traits needed to become an impactful NFL pass rusher. Turner’s first-step quickness and elite closing burst are important building blocks, but he still needs to work on his process from Point A to Point B. He hasn’t learned to create the space and angles needed to consistently attack the edges, but that should come with better hand development and a more diversified approach.”
3 NFL teams in the best position to draft Dallas Turner
Teams in need of an edge rusher should target Turner if they already have veteran in place who he can learn behind and eventually become a starter. With that in mind, here are the 3 best fits for the Alabama Prospect.
3. Minnesota Vikings: Dallas Turner could bring more edge on defense
With two first round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, the focus of the Vikings will be at the quarterback position, but their second big need is along the defensive line, primarily a young edge rusher to help make up for the loss of Danielle Hunter, who the team lost in free agency.
That is where Dallas Turner comes in as a potential pick at No. 11, if the Vikings can’t find a way to move up to draft one of the top 4 quarterbacks in the draft.
The Vikings lost Hunter in free agency and replaced him with the signings of Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. If drafted by the Vikings, that would take a little of the pressure off Turner and allow him to come into his own in the Vikings defense.
With his speed and power, the Alabama product could eventually form a nice edge rush tandem with Greenard by the middle-to-end of the season with the time to develop. Again, the Vikings are primed to score a QB if they can maneuver their way into the top 10, but Turner is not a bad consolation prize for a Vikings team also looking to strengthen their defensive needs in this draft.
Chicago Bears: Dallas Turner and Montez Sweat duo has a nice ring to it
With two top 10 picks, the Chicago Bears could go in any direction with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Everyone knows what they are doing with the top pick, but what about that second top 10 pick?
If they stand pat, Turner is the top choice for the Bears if they decide to address the defensive side of the ball high in the draft. His size, power and ability to get to the quarterback would be a nice fit in a Bears defense that was coming into their own in 2023.
Led by Montez Sweat, who the team acquire from the Washington Commanders prior to the NFL trade deadline, the Bears defense was a major reason why the team turned it around a bit towards the end of the season. In potentially drafting Turner, the Bears will find a complement to Sweat as a player coming off the other edge.
The Bears will have options later in the draft at the pass rush position, but why not snag the top edge rusher in the draft at No. 9 and allow him to develop and learn under the leadership of a player like Sweat?
Atlanta Falcons: Dallas Turner brings upside to Falcons' D
The Falcons took care of their quarterback needs with the signing of Kirk Cousins in free agency. With the talent they have surrounding the veteran QB on that side of the ball, the Falcons can use the draft to beef up and solidify their defense.
With the No. 8 overall pick in the draft, the Falcons will be a team other teams will call to try to move up into the top 10. If they stay pat or even move back a little, Turner is a young, athletic defender who should intrigue them.
The SEC Defensive Player of the Year is a player most mock drafts continuously link the Falcons. Currently, they have Arnold Ebiketie, DeAngelo Malone, and Lorenzo Carter as their EDGE rush defenders. Ebiketie was solid in 2023 with 6.0 sacks, but the Falcons need some more explosion off the edge and that’s where Turner comes in.
Unlike the Vikings and Bears, Turner may not have the time and patience with the Falcons to develop, but he’ll get the playing time and provide the upside the team is looking for at the position. In all, this is the best fit due to opportunity and playing time. With the Falcons, Turner will need to learn on the fly which sometimes is not a bad thing for a player with the talent of Turner.
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