Rams Defensive Tackle Kobie Turner Takes Massive Leap in Hypothetical Redraft

The Los Angeles Rams had one of the best draft classes this past season, and most of their picks were made fairly late, like defensive tackle Kobie Turner.

Rookie defensive tackle Kobie Turner had an excellent year for the Los Angeles Rams, becoming one of the most impactful players on the defensive side of the ball.

Turner finished the season as the sack leader for the team with nine, tying Aaron Donald's rookie record that he set in 2014. Most every team in the NFL would like to have that production on their defense, and in a recent article by Bleacher Report's David Kenyon, he sees where Turner would have been drafted if teams had known how good he would be.

Nov 26, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner (91) with linebacker Byron Young (0) and defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium / Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Kenyon redrafted the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft to see where players would go now that teams know what every rookie brings to the table. Turner was originally drafted in the third round with the 89th pick, but in Kenyon's redraft, he would be going to the Dallas Cowboys with the 26th pick.

"Given that Dallas mismanaged Mazi Smith, it could be foolish to simply pick a new D-tackle. The difference is Kobie Turner would have better fit what the Cowboys asked of Smith instead of using him as a nose tackle," Kenyon writes. "For the Rams, Turner collected 57 tackles and a team-best nine sacks."

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The entire league, not just the Cowboys, would have been very willing to draft Turner if they had known the kind of impact that he was going to have on the very young defense of the Rams. 

Turner was just one of the many steals in the 2023 NFL Draft that the Rams got. And in hindsight, the Rams had one of the most impactful all-around groups of rookies right alongside the Houston Texans. 

If things continue on this path, Turner could be one of the cornerstones of the defense going forward and might even be a worthy successor for Donald.