Brian Flores is Going to be a Very Happy Man
K. Joudry
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There’s a ton of respect for Brian Flores within TCO Performance Center.
Last season, the first-year DC took a pretty average cluster of talent and turned them into an above average defense. What will he be capable of doing with better personnel? Free agency brought in guys like Jonathan Greenard (EDGE1), Andrew Van Ginkel (EDGE2), Blake Cashman (LB1/2), and Shaq Griffin (CB2). All of those moves look vital, but they may all pale in comparison to the decision to trade up for Dallas Turner.
Brian Flores, Dallas Turner, and The Vikings’ Defense
Consider some of the expert opinion on Mr. Turner.
The thought from NFL.com: “Long and athletic with the explosive traits needed to become an impactful NFL pass rusher. Turner’s first-step quickness and elite closing burst are important building blocks, but he still needs to work on his process from Point A to Point B. He hasn’t learned to create the space and angles needed to consistently attack the edges, but that should come with better hand development and a more diversified approach.”
And then the in-house opinion from Josh Frey, the draft nerd in this part of the internet.
The word from Frey: “Some may knock Dallas Turner because of his height/weight, but the Alabama edge rusher has plenty of length to make up for it. Turner consistently found ways to win with leverage as a result, and his quick explosiveness off the line of scrimmage gives opponents very little time to react.”
The sense one gets from these write ups is that Turner is a wonderfully gifted football player who may benefit from some more time refining his craft. Thankfully, he’s going to be placed in a good spot in Minnesota. Not only is Flores an excellent DC but the aforementioned defensive talent along the edge is going to allow the rookie to be eased into the lineup.
One could easily envision a world where Turner doesn’t technically get any starts in 2024 while nevertheless making a major impact. If he can be a menace coming in on 3rd downs, then his rookie season will have been a success.
Standing at 6’4″ and weighing 245 pounds, Dallas Turner isn’t the largest edge rusher in the world (for context, Danielle Hunter is listed at 6’5″, 263). However, Turner picked up 10 sacks and 14.5 TFLs last season while playing for Alabama. So, he has been productive.
The blitzing wizard at DC is going to have the freedom to put a trio of legit pass rushers onto the field at the same time: Greenard, Van Ginkel, and Turner. And then one thinks of Ivan Pace, Josh Metellus, and Harrison Smith all being threats at blitzers. Any chance he can create some chaos within that cluster of talent?
Oh, and as if there needed to be any firm confirmation, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah did explain in his post-draft press conference that Brian Flores was “excited” about the pick.
Turner, 21, is going to get the chance to develop into Minnesota’s top pass rusher. Before getting there, though, he’s going to be a critical piece of the puzzle for a defensive coordinator who loves to go on the attack.
Editor’s Note: Information from Sports Reference CFB helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.