Over the course of the Minnesota Vikings’ recent four-game skid, there haven’t been many bright spots. But one player who’s quietly turning heads is second-year edge rusher Dallas Turner. While the team’s struggles have dominated headlines, Turner has been steadily stacking impact plays - and his recent surge suggests he might be turning a corner.
Over the last three games, Turner has totaled 12 pressures, 4 sacks, 3 quarterback hits, 2 pass deflections, and 15 tackles. That’s not just a flash in the pan - that’s production that jumps off the stat sheet.
He now leads the Vikings with 5.5 sacks on the season. That number might not blow you away at first glance, but context matters.
Minnesota ranks 12th in the league in total sacks (31), but they’ve been spreading the wealth across the defense. Turner’s emergence as the sack leader is a sign that he’s starting to separate himself.
Turner came to Minnesota as the 17th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, a selection that raised eyebrows - not because of Turner’s talent, but because of the price the Vikings paid to get him. Before the draft, Minnesota traded the 42nd and 188th picks, plus a 2025 second-rounder, to Houston for the 23rd and 232nd picks.
Initially, that looked like a move to position themselves for a quarterback. On draft night, they did land JJ McCarthy, but not with that pick.
Instead, the Vikings packaged the 23rd and 167th picks, along with their 2025 third- and fourth-rounders, to move up to No. 17 and grab Turner. When you tally up the cost, it’s steep: two second-round picks, a third, a fourth, a fifth, and a sixth - all for Turner and a seventh-rounder.
That’s a hefty investment, especially for a non-quarterback. And for fans who live and die by the draft value charts, it was a tough pill to swallow.
Naturally, that backdrop has shaped the way Turner’s early career has been viewed. His rookie season was quiet - just 3 sacks on 300 snaps - and through the first nine games of this year, he’d added only 1.5 more. That’s not the kind of return that quiets the critics.
But there’s more to the story. In 2024, Turner was playing behind Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel - both of whom had breakout seasons that earned them Pro Bowl nods and even some All-Pro consideration.
Turner simply wasn’t on the field as much. And it’s worth noting that Turner, now 22, is significantly younger than some of his draft-class peers - Jared Verse, for example, is already 25.
So what’s changed lately? Is this just a hot streak, or is Turner actually evolving as a pass rusher?
Let’s go to the tape.
Turner’s athletic profile has always suggested he’d thrive as a speed rusher. His burst and explosiveness are elite, and you’d expect him to win by flying around the edge.
And yes, some of his best reps recently have come that way - including a standout play against Seahawks left tackle Charles Cross. On that rep, Turner exploded off the line, dipped under Cross, turned the corner, and knocked the ball loose from quarterback Sam Darnold for a strip sack.
That’s the kind of play you draft a guy in the first round to make.
But here’s the interesting part: those speed-rush wins are still relatively rare on his film. Turner isn’t consistently winning with pure bend around the arc. And a big reason for that might be his alignment.
Turner often lines up extremely wide - several yards outside the offensive tackle, sometimes even beyond a detached tight end. That angle forces opposing linemen to kick out deep in their pass sets, especially when they know he’s got the speed to beat them around the edge. That depth can neutralize his speed rush - but it also opens up another path to the quarterback: the bull rush.
And that’s where Turner has really started to make his mark.
Despite being a bit light for the position - he weighed in at 247 pounds at the Combine - Turner has shown surprising power. He’s likely added some mass since entering the league, but what really gives him an edge is his leverage and arm length. His 34 ⅜-inch arms allow him to get into the chest of blockers and control the point of attack.
Take his matchup against Seahawks right tackle Abe Lucas. On one rep, Turner got into Lucas’ chest with authority and drove him back at the snap.
Lucas recovered well, but the initial jolt showed just how much power Turner can generate. That kind of displacement isn’t easy to come by, especially for an edge rusher who’s still developing his frame.
And it wasn’t just a one-off. Turner consistently won with bull rushes over the past few games - not just against tight ends (which are typically easier matchups), but against tackles as well. He’s using his speed to force linemen into deep sets, then converting that speed into power to collapse the pocket.
That’s a significant development. The best pass rushers in the league don’t rely on just one move - they win with a toolbox. Turner’s ability to mix in speed-to-power moves gives him a real foundation to build on.
The production is catching up to the potential. And while it’s still early in his career, the signs are encouraging.
The Vikings paid a premium to get him, no doubt. But if this recent stretch is any indication, Dallas Turner might be starting to pay that investment back - one bull rush at a time.