There is massive hype surrounding Vikings edge rusher Dallas Turner as he enters his third season. While much of the hype is coming from the local media who get to see evidence of his development in Eagan, Minnesota, they’re not the only ones bullish on the 23-year-old.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer highlighted Turner as the most significant reason for optimism that their pass-rush will be fine after shipping Jonathan Greenard out of town this offseason.
Van Ginkel is certainly a key part. However, the bigger piece might be 2024 first-round pick Dallas Turner, who’s had a monster offseason and seems to be starting to realize the enormous amount of talent he’s always had.
Purple Daily’s Phil Mackey shared a similar sentiment on the Purple Daily podcast this morning. However, he even took his praise one step further.
“Dallas Turner will finish top 10 in sacks this season in the NFL,” Mackey said. “He’d have to have at least 12 [sacks] to be at least in the top 10 last year. I don’t know what the target number is going to be. Maybe it’s 12, maybe it’s higher, but he will finish in the top 10 in the NFL in sacks.”
The media is clearly drinking the Kool-Aid. They’re not blindly expecting it not to be tainted, though. The Vikings made their stance on the subject known when they traded Greenard away during the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Vikings Are Banking On Dallas Turner Taking A Big Leap
Turner is a prime example of fans counting a player out far too early. While they certainly wanted to see more from Turner as a rookie, he was firmly third on the depth chart at edge rusher behind Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. Jared Verse’s immediate emergence led many to unfairly question whether he was a bust after his three-sack rookie campaign.
He successfully silenced the doubters and made those concerns look ridiculous last season. The (then) 22-year-old finished the year with 8 sacks and displayed flashes of dominance. There’s little doubt that Greenard would still be donning the purple and gold this season if he hadn’t enjoyed the mini-breakout.
Why was it only a “mini” breakout? The sentiment inside the building is that Turner clearly still has a long runway. Vikings’ offensive tackle Brian O’Neill provided some insight into that conversation while speaking to Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr on their Bent Outta Shape podcast.
“You see him not thinking anymore right now,” O’Neill said. “He has the physical tools to be a really great player in this league, and once you get to the point where it’s automatic, then you start to really fine-tune the details and set rushes up and play that game with an offensive tackle. And he’s starting to do that.”
History Is On Dallas Turner’s Side In The DPOTY Race
The NFL increasingly becoming a passing league over the past two decades has led teams to put greater emphasis on the defensive line. Likewise, pass-rushers have also become the second-most important position in the sport.
Over the past 20 years, 14 of the players who have won the Defensive Player of the Year Award have made their living on the defensive line. Getting pressure on opposing QBs is by far the most important goal on defense, and that isn’t lost on voters. We’ve seen some incredible performances from off-the-ball linebackers (and corners and safeties, to a slightly lesser extent) get snubbed to the benefit of the league’s top sack artist in a given season.
The opportunity for greatness should be a major source of motivation for Turner. If his breakout season does come to fruition for the Vikings, then there’s no reason he can’t be in the running for the honor.
Vikings’ Dallas Turner Predicted to Ascend to Defensive Player of the Year Status