Former Minnesota Vikings first-round pick 'must bounce back' from poor 2024 season
Dallas Turner didn't have the most impactful rookie season in 2024, leading some to question the Minnesota Vikings' decision to trade up and select him. That makes his 2025 season vital to his future.
The Vikings already have two Pro Bowl edge defenders, Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard. That made it hard to get Turner on the field as much as fans expected heading into last season. But Brian Flores and the Vikings are expecting big things from the second-year defender.
This week, Matt Holder from PFF listed Turner among six 2024 first-round picks who need to have a bounce-back season to avoid the "bust" label. Holder acknowledges the obstacles Turner faced as a rookie, but says it's time for him to make a regular impact.
But it was a little shocking to see him only take 28 percent of the Minnesota Vikings' defensive snaps, per Pro Football Reference, and he could receive a similar workload this fall. . .Both starting edge defenders from last season return for the Vikings: Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard. . .Turner has an uphill battle to crack the starting lineup and could have a tough time seeing the field again.
Last week, Flores told the media that he doesn't view Turner as a backup, and instead views him as an equal to Van Ginkel and Greenard. Flores isn't one to hype a player up in front of the media, so maybe it's a sign that Turner is coming along.
But we still need to see Turner actually do it when the games count this season. Perhaps Flores is scheming ways to get him on the field without taking Van Ginkel and Greenard off.
No matter how it happens, the Vikings paid a hefty price to land Turner. That means they need to see results sooner rather than later.
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