The Vikings’ decision to move on from Jonathan Greenard was always going to be judged through one lens: who steps up now?
Minnesota sent Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason in exchange for two third-round picks, a move that looked risky from the start given how much pressure he brought to Brian Flores’s defense. Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski didn’t exactly soften the blow when he spoke after the deal was finalized during the NFL Draft.
“He’s an impact player. It’s something we understand is not making the Minnesota Vikings a better team today,” Brzezinski said via the Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling. “But there’s a lot of factors involved, and particularly with economics, we were able to reach a resolution that made sense for the Vikings.
“We’re going to miss him. We’re happy he was able to get himself a new contract, but this is not something we’re jumping around excitedly about. We did feel like it was the best thing for the organization moving forward.”
That kind of quote only sharpened the scrutiny. Fans were left wondering whether Minnesota had once again let a premier edge presence walk away in his prime. But the early answer to the Greenard gamble may already be showing up in Dallas Turner.
Turner has been one of the standouts of training camp, and that momentum carried into Saturday’s preseason opener against the New York Giants. He looks bigger, more explosive, and more comfortable heading into his third season.
His takedown of Jaxon Dart was part of it, but not the whole story. The bigger picture is that he’s flashing in ways that suggest something more than just a hot August stretch.
Pro Football Focus backed that up with a strong review, tagging Turner as Minnesota’s top edge rusher with a 73.4 overall grade. The sample was tiny - just six defensive snaps - but the buzz around him has been building beyond one preseason cameo.
Andrew Van Ginkel said Turner has also grown into the role Greenard left behind.
“Dallas is attacking it the right way,” Van Ginkel told Goessling. “He’s taking that leadership role knowing he’s the next man up.
He learned a lot from [Greenard]. JG was a great example to our room last year.
Me and Dallas are using his techniques and new stuff that [defensive running game coordinator] Ryan [Nielsen] is bringing to the defense.”
That’s the part Minnesota needs most. Turner was the 17th overall pick in the 2024 draft, and his first two seasons have already hinted at why the Vikings believed in him.
As a rookie, he played 302 snaps, produced 12 pressures and finished with three sacks. Last season, he took another step while filling in for Greenard during a shoulder injury, posting 42 total pressures and eight sacks across 702 defensive snaps.
The bar, though, is higher now. Greenard’s first season in Minnesota in 2024 brought 12 sacks, 80 total pressures and a Pro Bowl nod. Even in a 2024 campaign affected by injury, he still managed 47 pressures and 3.5 sacks in 270 pass-rushing snaps.
Greenard’s impact went beyond the box score, too, even with tackling issues that remained part of the conversation. His exit leaves a hole, and the Vikings could still look outside the building to patch some of the depth concerns. But if this is going to work, Turner has to turn the promise into production.
The signs so far are encouraging. The Athletic’s Alec Lewis said Turner has looked “incredibly motivated” during camp, and Greenard’s current placement on the Eagles’ physically unable to perform list because of a pectoral injury only gives Turner more runway to make Minnesota’s choice look smart.
If Turner keeps this up, the Vikings may not just have a replacement for Greenard. They may already have their answer.
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