The Vikings have built their defense around one simple idea: make life miserable for the quarterback. In 2026, that plan is expected to look a lot like it did in 2025, with Brian Flores keeping the pressure on and the turnovers coming.
A big part of that formula is Dallas Turner, and Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay recently put the former top pick on a list of the league’s more underrated players.
Kay wrote, "Turner struggled to grasp the defensive coordinator Brian Flores' system as a rookie and was relegated to a meager 28 percent snap share. After mustering 20 tackles and three sacks across 16 games, he narrowly avoided the dreaded draft bust label but certainly didn't do enough to warrant the costs of acquiring him.
That changed in 2025 when the 23-year-old finally figured things out and dialed in. He received a big bump in playing time (logging a 66 percent snap share on the year) while appearing in all 17 games and starting 10."
That jump in usage came with real production. Turner finished with 66 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, eight sacks, and four forced fumbles.
With Jonathan Greenard traded away, Turner is now set to be the Vikings’ top pass rusher, or at least right there with Andrew Van Ginkel. Either way, the opportunity is there for an even bigger role, and a bigger impact, in 2026.
For now, he fits the underrated label. By the end of the season, that may not be the case anymore.
In Other News...
Brian Flores Is Becoming A Huge Problem For The Vikings
Brian Flores is heading into his fourth season as the Vikings defensive coordinator, and his name still carries the kind of head-coaching weight that keeps him on the radar around the league. After his run as Dolphins head coach from 2019 to 2021, he has remained one of the more closely watched defensive minds in football, even as he has yet to land another top job.
This offseason brought more evidence of that continued appeal, with interviews for the Ravens and Steelers opening the door again before closing without a hire. Analysts still view Flores as a coordinator who could work his way back into head-coaching consideration down the line, which leaves Minnesota in a familiar spot: benefiting from his presence now while knowing his stock may keep rising elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Another Vikings Quarterback Wrinkle Is Hovering Over J.J. McCarthy Camp Battle
Derek Carr has become a familiar name in Vikings quarterback conversations, and hes back in the mix again after saying in an interview that he is still training, staying in shape and could return to the NFL for the right situation. Minnesota has its own camp battle to sort through, but Carrs comments naturally revive the kind of speculation that has followed him before, including the Vikings connection that surfaced last spring and again around Super Bowl Sunday.
For now, the fit still looks like a long shot, even before the logistics come into play. Carrs conservative style and low air-yards profile have raised questions about how well he would mesh with Kevin OConnells offense, and any pursuit would also have to clear the hurdle of his current Saints contract. Unless the Vikings quarterback room takes an unexpected hit, this feels more like another background wrinkle than a real change to the race. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Draft Debate Just Reopened Their Biggest Offensive Line Frustration
The Vikings center picture has been unstable enough that even a speculative draft exercise can reopen the conversation. With Garrett Bradbury gone and Ryan Kelly now retired after an injury-shortened 2025, Minnesota is moving Blake Brandel into the job full time after using him there only in an emergency role last season, a sign the team is still trying to settle one of its most persistent offensive line issues.
CBS Sports Zachary Pereles added another layer to that debate in a 2024 NFL redraft, where Minnesotas second first-round choice was framed through the lens of interior line help. It is the kind of what-if that lingers because the Vikings have spent so much time searching for stability in the middle, and the current plan only underscores how much that spot remains a pressure point heading into the new season. [Read more 🡒]