Shemar Turner checked plenty of boxes. NFL teams always look for size, power, and athleticism in their high draft picks. The Texas A&M defensive lineman had those covered. So for him to fall nearly out of the 2nd round was somewhat surprising. There had to be an explanation. Some thought it was his tendency towards violent outbursts. He played with such aggression at times that it led to unnecessary penalties. Teams are wary of players who can’t maintain their composure. That may have been part of it, but there was another, simpler explanation.
Turner’s production dropped in 2024. After posting 6.5 sacks in his sophomore season with the Aggies, he managed only two last year. NFL teams don’t like drafting players in the 1st round with only one good season of production. Debates went back and forth about why Turner fell off. As it turns out, the reason was more technical. Bears personnel director Terry Koziol revealed it when discussing Turner with the Chicago Tribune. The truth is, 2024 was Turner’s first-ever season at defensive tackle.
“Being able to be in a room with guys like Grady Jarrett and these veteran players, Andrew Billings and Gervon and these guys that have done it,” Koziol said, “just to be able to take a little bit of what all those guys do and make it your own — I still think there’s a lot of meat on the bone there in terms of that.
“Honestly, (it was) his first year doing it (at defensive tackle). But it’ll be really fun. I know the coaches are really excited to work with him.”
Shemar Turner is hardly the first to struggle adjusting to a new position.
DeForest Buckner started as a defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers in 2016. The next year, they moved him to defensive tackle, where he only had three sacks. Some wondered if it had been a mistake. The next season, Buckner exploded for 12 sacks. It serves as a reminder that position switches almost never yield immediate results. Playing defensive tackle is significantly different from end. There is less space to work with and a far greater chance of facing double teams. Also, the primary responsibility for defensive tackles is stopping the run. Adjusting to that must not have been easy for Shemar Turner.
Some still wonder if that was the right decision. Texas A&M had a logjam at defensive end with Nic Scourton and Shemar Stewart. Coaches must not have wanted to take Turner off the field, so they asked him to move inside. It will be interesting to see if the Bears shift him back or if they want to keep working him in the middle.
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