Dallas Turner Is Becoming Something Unexpected

It was a relatively nondescript play lost in an unremarkable game.

The Chicago Bears faced second-and-goal from the Minnesota Vikings’ one-yard line in Minnesota’s 30-12 Week 15 win. Dallas Turner displayed his 4.46 speed as he darted out from the sideline as a last-second injury replacement. Seconds later, Minnesota’s defense stuffed D'Andre Swift, and Chicago eventually settled for a field goal.

Turner may be on the milk carton, but that doesn’t mean he’s spoiled. Minnesota’s first-round selection (17th overall) played a season-high 51% of snaps in Week 1. However, he hasn’t played more than 35% of defensive snaps all year, except for against the Indianapolis Colts (48%) and Chicago (49%).

“I know that's something that a lot of people been talking about,” Brian Flores said after Minnesota’s 21-13 Week 9 win over Indianapolis. “Gink (Andrew Van Ginkel) was a little bit – not hurt, but he got a minor thing that he was dealing with.

“So you know Dallas is the next guy in. He went in [and] played well. Gink said he was ready to go back in, and we just kept the same kind of grouping for the remainder of the game. Dallas did a few good things as well.

“That's a deep room. There's a lot of good players in there, and, by and large, we go with the hot hand.”

Throughout the year, Flores has said that Turner hasn’t seen as much playing time as other first-rounders because Minnesota is deep along the defensive line and at linebacker. Jonathan Greenard, Van Ginkel, Blake Cashman, and Co. have anchored Flores’ top-three defense. Still, it’s curious that Turner got extensive playing time against Indianapolis in place of Van Ginkel.

The Vikings let Danielle Hunter walk in the offseason and signed Greenard to replace him. Greenard has outplayed his four-year, $49 million contract this year. But Greenard alone cannot replace Hunter.

It only felt logical that Minnesota traded up for Turner, the Alabama edge rusher, to help replace Hunter’s production. However, Lance Zierlein compared Turner to New York Giants linebacker Brian Burns, another player who attended American Heritage-Plantation High School in Fort Lauderdale.

After watching Turner pick off Geno Smith in Minnesota’s 27-24 win in Seattle, it’s easy to see why he compared him to a linebacker.

Flores emphasizes versatility with his players, which is why Van Ginkel has thrived under him in Miami and Minnesota. Flores said that Turner has worked on coverage in practice, indicating that he will ask Turner to cover receivers and tight ends as part of his role.

If Turner can effectively cover opposing pass-catchers, it helps Flores create simulated pressures. Flores likes to have seven or eight players line up at the line of scrimmage and make the quarterback guess how many are blitzing, forcing bad decisions like Smith’s throw on the run that Turner picked.

“There’s been extra work on that in particular,” Flores said Tuesday. “Lo and behold, it shows up. So it’s good for us as a coaching staff to see that. ... He was right there where he was supposed to be, and he was able to make a play. Now, I wish he would’ve stayed on his feet because there was some space there, but we’ll just take it one step at a time.”

Turner is still finding his place in the defense and building the habits that foster success. Flores has pulled him aside several times and asked when he was working out, what he eats, and how well he sleeps. Veteran players like Greenard, 27, have a weekly routine to prepare their body and mind for football’s rigors. Turner is still establishing his.

"He and I had some one-on-ones saying, 'Hey, what are we doing on this day?’'' Flores said after Minnesota’s 42-21 Week 14 win over the Atlanta Falcons. “Which I think was good so we were 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 just exactly what are we looking at on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday?"

Turner believes that being in a winning environment has helped him as a rookie. He’s tried to step back, observe his teammates’ routines, and implement what the coaches ask of him.

“A lot of great players, a lot of great coaches, a lot of great people to learn from,” he said after Minnesota’s Week 15 win over the Bears. “[it’s] just Year 1, just taking myself back [and] observing it.”

Turner is a reserve player but should eventually become an impact starter. However, he has much to learn, especially in Flores’ complex defense. Still, we don’t know what kind of player Turner will be at his peak. The Vikings may have drafted Turner as an edge rusher out of Alabama, but he may become a complement to Van Ginkel rather than the Danielle Hunter replacement.