Dallas Turner continues to get internal praise from Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell, and it should calm down the outside frustration
Dallas Turner is playing much better than anyone wants to give him credit for.
One of the more controversial players on the Minnesota Vikings is edge rusher Dallas Turner.
No matter where you go, the discourse is aggressive, especially if you think he’s a bust. Being that he was the 17th-overall pick, and two trades were made to move up from 42nd overall, it makes sense. Now, neither of those trades was made with the idea of getting Turner, as general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made the move to get extra draft capital to secure the quarterback of the future. They didn’t end up using that pick and traded three other picks to secure Turner.
Ever since he got on the field, it’s been nothing but controversy, not because of his actions, but his play hasn’t been up to most people’s expectations.
Kevin O’Connell praises Dallas Turner
It’s not as simple as looking at just one pass rush rep or seeing that the sack numbers are low. Turner does a lot of really important things for the defense, including dropping into coverage regularly.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell was asked about Turner on Tuesday, specifically about taking on a bigger role with Andrew Van Ginkel being out injured.
“He’s had a lot of snaps and some impactful plays,” said O’Connell. “We’re asking him to do quite a bit, especially in our emphasis on trying to stop the run. Last week, I thought Dallas was really good at setting edges against a really physical front, hard O-line to rush against, especially at the tackle spots, and wanting to try to contain [Jalen] Hurts as much as we could.
“Maybe limited some of the creativity of some of the rushes, but the strain, the finish, his use of his gifts to rush the passer are being used and emphasized, but also growing on a daily basis. So, I think Dallas is just going to continue to get better and better and better opposite JG [Jonathan Greenard] there and looking forward to see what how he can do this week. Fired up to watch him play.”
The line about setting the edges and trying to contain Hurts is a big reason for the clip above. He’s arguably playing against the best right tackle to ever play football in Lane Johnson. The big thing with Turner is that his role won’t get much love. He does so many little things that don’t get appreciated because they don’t show up on the stat sheet. This play from his rookie season last year is exactly what he brings to the table.
The ability to play in coverage like that is so important, as it emphasizes the versatility that Brian Flores craves with his defensive scheme. The amount of simulated pressures Flores can run with players like Turner makes him that much more valuable than a standard edge rusher. He’s playing better than most want to give him credit for, especially with his strength at the point of attack, and these reps are only going to help his growth.