Dallas Turner Could Become A Force Multiplier For Minnesota's Defense

I’m not an overly patient person.

Instant gratification is much more satisfying, particularly in sports. Think about how much more fun the Justin Jefferson experience was from the jump for Minnesota Vikings fans compared to the slow ramp-up Green Bay Packers fans had with Davante Adams. Without a doubt, both ended up as elite players. Still, while Adams was inconsistent and had drops early in his career, Jefferson was the runner-up for Rookie Of the Year. Not long after that, he became the best receiver in football.

There’s a special magic to the electrifying newness of a player immediately making a significant impact in their rookie season. In a world driven by hot takes and dopamine hits, preaching patience on a player’s development often falls on deaf ears. In Dallas Turner's case, that’s true even when he’s sitting behind two Pro Bowlers.

Brian Flores spoke glowingly in his

You can debate the relative sincerity of those comments. Brian Flores is certainly Belichick-trained when it comes to coach speak. You could interpret those comments as the kind of fluff you’d expect a coach to say about a young player. However, things get particularly juicy because he could have just stopped there, and likely would have if he wasn’t feeling motivated to take things a step further.

That’s a pretty strong statement for the middle of June.

Think back to the final two weeks of the season. Flores rotated his guys all season, giving plenty of snaps to guys like Pat Jones and even Turner in the back half of the year. However, when the stakes were high against the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams, he stopped rotating them. Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard hardly came off the field, which was to their detriment. They got gassed in both games, and the Lions and Rams outmuscled them as the game went on.

Suppose Turner had been a true “third starter” in those games and could have meaningfully contributed in a way that keeps those guys fresher and more effective. Then, who knows what kind of impact that may have had? Flores also said this regarding Turner’s experience learning from the two stars in front of him.

The thing about Turner is that he’s an interesting “tweener” between Greenard and Van Ginkel. He shares many of their strengths, even if they’re in the early developmental stages. Van Ginkel is excellent as an edge rusher who can drop back into coverage, becoming a household name in Minnesota for his “Gink-sixes” this year.

Turner has also shown the ability to do that, especially on plays like his interception against the Seattle Seahawks last season. He’s also got some of Greenard's physical tools. He’s not quite as strong as Greenard at this stage, but he can convert speed to power and use his athleticism against opposing tackles.

The problem for Turner is that he’s still an incomplete product. As talented as he is, he lacks Greenard’s level of physicality and strength that would allow him to consistently win against quality tackles purely off athleticism. Alabama didn't develop Turner's hand-fighting and the finesse elements of pass rushing the way you see in a guy like Van Ginkel, who’s technically proficient as a pass rusher. That will take time to come to fruition, and is likely why he saw so much of the bench in make-or-break games for Minnesota last year.

But that was 2024. It’s a new season, and as Flores stated, he’s got a whole offseason of development to take that next step in his game. He can become even more refined, dropping into coverage and reading the quarterback, or even more technical in developing a pass-rush plan. If I’m Turner, I spend the whole offseason attached at the hip with Van Ginkel and learn everything I can. He’s really the mold of what Turner can be in this league. And perhaps with the physical ability to be even better.

However, what's most important is what Turner could do to really help Greenard and Van Ginkel be their best. Fresh legs make a huge difference in this league. Just look at the Eagles, who rode their incredible depth and rotation up front all the way to a Lombardi. If Turner can get to a place where Flores can trust him on a key down without wearing out his two stars, it’ll only make those guys better when they must play in the most important moments.

I’d love for Turner to play so well that fans stop asking What’s wrong with Dallas Turner? Why isn’t he good enough to get playing time? and start asking What’s wrong with Brian Flores? Why isn’t he giving Turner more reps? He’s too good to keep off the field!

We may still be a ways away from Turner warranting that conversation, but the fanbase's patience may pay off sooner rather than later.