The Minnesota Vikings player who will benefit from the Jonathan Greenard trade is Dallas Turner. It will be up to Turner to prove not only that last season’s production wasn’t a fluke, but also that it’s what the team should expect from him.
Last season with the Vikings, Turner finished with a 65.5 overall defensive grade from PFF, ranking 63rd out of 115 qualified edge defenders. He posted a 70.2 pass-rush grade, which ranked 38th at the position, and a 66.9 run-defense grade, which ranked 38th.
As a pass rusher, he produced 42 total pressures, including nine sacks, 27 hurries, and six quarterback hits. In run defense, he logged 35 solo tackles and added four forced fumbles over the course of the season.
With Greenard now gone, former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber was asked whether this upcoming season is a make-or-break one for Turner.
“It’s huge [for Turner],” Leber said during an April 27 appearance on KFAN. “It’s a chance for him to be a true three-down player and see if he can carry the same amount of disruption, and if not more than Greenard…
“[Greenard] had, unfortunately, a lot of missed sacks where he would slide off the guy off the top of his shoulders or something like that. So he was getting to the quarterback. He was ultra effective. Can Dallas Turner do that now when he’s getting 75 percent of the defensive snaps as opposed to what he’s been getting up to this point?”
Vikings Explain Decision for Jonathan Greenard Trade
Following the end of Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft, Vikings interim general manager Rob Brzezinski shared a major reason Minnesota decided to part ways with Greenard, despite wanting to compete in the upcoming 2026 NFL season.
“He’s an impact player,” Brzezinski said (h/t Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune). “It’s something we understand is not making the Minnesota Vikings a better team today. But there’s a lot of factors involved, and particularly with the economics, we were able to reach a resolution that made sense for the Vikings.
“We’re going to miss him. We’re happy he was able to get himself a new contract, but this is not something we’re jumping around excitedly about. We did feel like it was the best thing for the organization moving forward.”
Turner will need to replace the production that gets left behind by Turner. With the Vikings last season, Greenard posted a 74.2 overall defensive grade from PFF, placing 31st out of 115 qualified edge defenders.
His pass-rush grade came in at 77.6, good for 18th, while his 77.8 run-defense grade ranked 12th at the position.
Moreover, he finished the campaign with 47 total pressures, including four sacks, 35 hurries, and eight hits. Greenard also recorded 24 solo tackles and forced one fumble.
Eagles’ Reason for Making Jonathan Greenard Trade
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles explained why they decided it was ideal to part ways with two third-round draft picks to bolster their pass rush as they look to be contenders in the 2026 NFL season.
“What you see is a relentless player with physical tools. He can win in multiple ways; he is hard to block,” Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said (h/t Tim McManus of ESPN). “I know when we play Minnesota, we are worried about where he is at all times. We just felt like we had a really good D-line, but we really wanted to elevate it to another level.”
Vikings’ Dallas Turner Gets Blunt Message Ahead of 2026 Season