Minnesota Vikings rookie edge rusher Dallas Turner jumped off the screen a couple of times on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium.
After tackling star running back Bijan Robinson for no gain early in the game against the Atlanta Falcons, Turner made another impressive play on the next drive, crushing veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to force an incompletion.
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Although Turner wasn’t exactly a fixture in the game plan for the Vikings — he was on the field for roughly 35% of the defensive snaps — he did enough to garner praise from head coach Kevin O’Connell after the game.
“You felt the athleticism and the juice,” O’Connell said. “I was really encouraged.”
It’s a step in the right direction for Turner.
He has been brought along slowly by the Vikings despite the fact that they mortgaged part of the future to select him with the No. 17 pick in the 2024 draft. In total, Turner has recorded 12 tackles and a sack in 12 games while only playing 25% of defensive snaps.
Not that the Vikings seem concerned about Turner and his development.
Whenever the lack of playing time has been brought up, defensive coordinator Brian Flores has noted that Turner is behind edge rushers Jonathan Greenard — a dark horse candidate for NFL Defensive Player of the Year — and Andrew Van Ginkel, who has turned himself into an invaluable chess piece that can’t be taken off the field.
Asked about Turner on Tuesday afternoon at TCO Performance Center, Flores reiterated his belief in him and and what he could become.
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“I think the kid is super talented,” Flores said. “I think he’s got a bright future ahead of him.”
The impact that Turner made for the Vikings against the Falcons, interestingly enough, came after a few individual meetings with Flores. Those conversations were initiated by Flores and gave him a chance to pick Turner’s brain to make sure they were on the same page.
“I normally check in on the younger players when the college season comes to an end and they may be feeling like, ‘I’m tired,’ ” Flores said. “That’s kind of what prompted it.”
Some of the points of emphasis for Flores centered on simple things, such as how Turner was preparing for practice every day.
“I think it’s important for everybody to get on a routine,” Flores said. “The goal there was, ‘Let’s make sure we’ve got the right routine across the board.’ ”
As the Vikings start preparation for their Monday night game against the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium, edge rusher Pat Jones II is still nursing a knee injury, so Turner could be in line for an increased role once again.
“He’s coming along,” Flores said. “We’re going to need him here down the stretch.”
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