The Detroit Lions are looking for help off the edge, and one former teammate thinks Payton Turner might be the guy who gives it to them.
Grant Stuard, who left Detroit in free agency after one season, took to Instagram to make a pretty loud prediction about the new Lions defensive end. On an Instagram story, Stuard captioned a Turner post with the words, “10 PLUS SACKS WATCH.”
Stuard’s view comes with a built-in connection. He and Turner played together for four years at Houston, and Stuard was quick to praise Detroit’s decision to bring Turner in when the signing happened, calling it a “perfect fit.“
There’s reason Turner has become a tempting name to circle, even if the expectations around him should stay grounded. He entered the league as a first-round pick by the Saints in 2021, and the athletic traits are there for Detroit’s style up front. The problem has been availability: injuries kept him out of 36 games over his first three seasons.
A 10-sack leap would be a massive jump from what Turner has done so far. In 31 games, he has 5.0 sacks. He’ll also have to fight for snaps with second-round pick Derrick Moore and free agent addition DJ Wonnum.
Still, the idea is easy to understand. If Turner finally puts it all together, Detroit could have a pass-rush answer hiding in plain sight, in the same way Charles Harris broke through with 7.5 sacks in 2021.
Elsewhere, Defend the Den used the power of hindsight to re-draft the Lions’ 2024 class and came away with a strong haul.
And Lions rookie wide receiver Kendrick Law, whose season may already be over because of injury, was the subject of a personal Q&A on DetroitLions.com.
Amon-Ra St. Brown also had a personal milestone, getting engaged to his fiancé Brooklyn Adams.
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