One bold prediction for Vikings No. 17 overall pick Dallas Turner in 2024 NFL season

The Minnesota Vikings ended up with two potential franchise changing players in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.  After selecting J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick, the Vikings took care of their edge rush needs with the selection of Dallas Turner with the No. 17 overall pick.

In losing Danielle Hunter in free agency, the Vikings did sign Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel to help fill that void, but it is the selection of Turner in the draft who will eventually be the next great pass rusher in Minnesota if he lives up to his talent.

Coming out of the University of Alabama as one of the top pass rush players in the draft, Turner lit it up as an edge defender with the Crimson Tide.  As a bull-rusher type of player with a good, athletic frame, the 6-foot-3 Turner tallied 10 sacks in his final season at Alabama with 53 total tackles and two forced fumbles.  His combination of quickness, agility and strength makes him tough to block off the edge.  If he finds his comfort quickly in the NFL, watch for Turner to be a nuisance in that Vikings defense sooner rather than later.

What the Minnesota Vikings could have in Dallas Turner

As mentioned at the start, Turner has the build and skillset to grow into a Pro Bowl caliber pass rusher in the league, especially if he develops a couple more moves in his pursuit of the quarterback.  The Vikings are in good position with Greenard and Van Ginkel ahead of him as that takes some pressure off Turner to make an impact day 1. 

That doesn’t mean he won’t, it just gives him time to learn behind veterans in the Vikings’ defense.

Following the draft, Vikings’ defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who coached another outstanding linebacker out of Alabama while with the New England Patriots, see similarities between Turner and Dont’a Hightower in Turner’s ability to be more versatile in the defense and even going back in pass coverage.  That versality will get him on the field a lot more.

“I like [the selection] in conjunction with some of the other players [on the team]," Flores said, via ESPN. "That's really what I was thinking about, what I've been thinking about, what our staff has been thinking about. Dallas -- in conjunction with Jonathan Greenard, [Andrew] Van Ginkel and [Josh] Metellus and Harrison Smith and Harrison Phillips -- and different groups you can put out in different situations. That's what the next few weeks are going to look like. ... We'll start the process of teaching him the system, and we'll find out how much he can handle, and we'll give him as much as he can handle but always try to put him in the best positions to do what he does best."

Bold prediction for the 2024 NFL season

Turner will grow into a multi-positional player under Flores’ defensive scheme.  He’ll be a solid contributor and make plays, but his impact on the team will still come in rushing the passer.  In his rookie season, the Vikings rookie will add 7.0 sacks in helping Minnesota’s defense carry the team through the late part of the season.  His first sack victim will be Brock Purdy in a Week 2 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.