Matthew Coller: Vikings rookie Dallas Turner is adjusting and listening

Turner tied his season high with 26 snaps on Sunday vs. the Falcons. The Vikings are going to need more where that came from.

Oct 20, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Dallas Turner (15) warms up before the game against the Detroit Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

EAGAN — No matter the player, the circumstances or the context, if a team uses a high draft pick on someone then the expectation from fans and media is that they make a massive instant impact right away.

By that standard, Minnesota Vikings first-round pick Dallas Turner has fallen short of expectations. With third quarters of the season in the books, Turner has only been a rotational player so far. In total he has 202 snaps, one sack, two QB hits and six hurries. There are 15 players on the Vikings defense who have been on the field more often and eight who have more QB pressures.

His numbers and not in the same ballpark as other rookie edge rushers like Jared Verse (59 pressures), Laitu Latu (33 pressures) and Chop Robinson (40 pressures).

But if we end the analysis of his rookie season right there, we are missing a ton of context. He can’t reasonably be compared to those players because the circumstances are much different.

Turner, who doesn’t turn 22 years old until the week before the Super Bowl, joined a team with two of the top outside linebackers in the NFL in Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard. They also have veteran rotational pass rushers in Patrick Jones and Jihad Ward.

Because the outside linebacker room has remained healthy throughout the season, the door hasn’t been opened for Turner to jump into someone else’s spot. Jones missing last week’s game against the Falcons marked the first time any of the players in the OLB group were forced to sit out a full game.

The Vikings have been playing in high-leverage moments all season long, which has also limited Turner’s opportunities. Out of 13 total games, nine have been separated by one score, leaving little chance for defensive coordinator Brian Flores to take his veteran stars off the field. Greenard and Van Ginkel rank third and fourth in total snaps among all NFL edge rushers.

Had the Vikings not signed either veteran or succeeded as much as they have this season, we would likely be talking about a much higher snap count for the former Alabama star.

There is more to it than being in a crowded room though. Flores is also developing Turner into something more than a pure pass rusher. Based on his usage, the DC seems to see his first-rounder as a do-it-all defensive chess piece rather than a pure sack artist.

Turner has dropped back into coverage 37 times in his rookie year, including seven against the Falcons last week — a season high.

“He was more of an edge guy this past year [in college],” Flores said. “He had played off the ball a little bit in previous years. So we saw a little bit of that kind of coverage ability and just felt like between guys like himself, Gink, JG, Pat, all of them can drop to varying degrees. Dallas is just very, very talented. He can do it at a very high level. So we just try to incorporate that into some of the things we do. And he can both rush and cover at a pretty good clip.”

This type of player has always existed in Bill Belichick-inspired defenses. In 2018, for example, the New England Patriots sent linebacker Donta Hightower on pass rushes 288 times and dropped him into coverage 332 times. In an interview with Vikings entertainment after the draft, Flores compared Turner to Hightower.

The learning curve to become the next Hightower is steeper than playing a one-dimensional role. While Turner went to Alabama and played under legendary coach Nick Saban’s tutelage, NFL defenses — especially Flores’s — have more layers of detail and complexity, especially when it comes to learning to play in coverage. If he were a pure edge rusher, the learning curve would have been a simpler task

Turner told Purple Insider that he has been focused on learning and mastering every moving part of the defense so he can make an impact in coverage.

“Knowing what everyone else is supposed to do and understanding the full concept of the defense helps you slow down the game a little bit by knowing where your help is, understanding leverage and stuff like that,” Turner said.

Turner added that he wants to be a dynamic player rather than just a one-dimensional pass rusher.

“Dropping into coverage and playing in space is part of my game,” Turner said. “Showing the versatility and not putting myself in a box and doing whatever they ask me to do so I can be the best teammate possible.”

In recent weeks, Flores has put more on Turner’s plate. In two key games against the Lions and Rams midway through the year, he was only on the field for a total of eight plays. Since then he has three separate games where he’s been on the field for 26 plays (including last week vs. Atlanta) and has reached double digits each week since registering four pressures against the Colts in Week 9.

The development curve might be coming along deliberately for Turner but we have reached a point where the Vikings defense needs him to become an impact player. The unit has been worn down as the season has gone on, having been on the field for the ninth most plays in the NFL and have given up 400-plus yards in four of their last six games. Rotating Turner into the mix could end up being vital to keeping the star veterans fresh as the year goes into its final stretch.

With more work seemingly on the horizon, Flores had a one-on-one conversation with Turner last week. The defensive coordinator said that he routinely checks in with rookie players around the time the college season ends to find out how they are dealing with the long grind of the NFL season. The conversation with Turner may have had a little extra meaning than a routine check in considering what the Vikings have in front of them.

“I think the kid is super talented, I think he's got a bright future ahead of him, so… if there any advice I could give him to make what he's doing a little bit better for now and moving forward,” Flores said.

“I think it was good so we are a little bit more on the same page as far as expectations as far as the work week and things of that nature — not saying that he wasn't working, he's always working, he's a hard-working kid, but exactly what is it? What are we looking at on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday?” Flores explained.

Turner said that he was all ears.

"Anything coach Flo says, he might not know it but I'm always listening,” Turner said. “He's a very knowledgeable coach and I'm blessed to have him as my defensive coordinator. My first year, to be around someone with that football caliber, understanding the places that he's coached in, I'd be an idiot if I didn't learn from him. I'd be real ignorant if I didn't learn from him. I told myself that from Day 1. The main thing I got from what he told me was about longevity."

The Vikings first-rounder is aware of what the other edge rushers in his class have done this year. He knows Verse has become an instant star for the Rams. He also knows that Verse is three years older than him and doing a different job.

“My skill set is still developing, I’m a young player in this league and there’s a lot of stuff that can be worked on,” he said. “Just learning from my mistakes and only making mistakes one time and being a real student of the game and having humility whenever I mess up. Being open to every single piece of information I’m given from my coaches. Being open to all knowledge. Coming to work with the right mindset every day.”

Turner did admit that it hasn’t been easy to take in everything in his first year. He joked that it feels like he’s gone from 21 to 35 years old in a single season. But he does appears to be trusting Flores’s plan for him.

"It's hard for sure, but I have to keep my perspective and learn the most from it. Thank God I'm in a great organization with great coaches, great staff and it shows. I'm at an early stage of my career so I can take what I learned from Year 1."