The Dallas Turner Trade Sees a New Wrinkle Added
Opting to trade up for Dallas Turner was always a bold, controversial decision. Seeing the sophomore prove to be so unspectacular makes things look even worse.
But while a lot of the focus has (reasonably) rested the sheer number of draft selections forfeited to choose the edge rusher, there’s another angle that needs consideration: who got selected at No. 23, the draft slot owned by the Vikings prior to doing business with Jacksonville. The Jaguars held onto that pick, selecting WR Brian Thomas. The receiver shined as a rookie but is now circulating within the NFL trade rumors with a week to go before the deadline.
The Dallas Turner Trade & The Jaguars’ Highway Robbery
The word arrives courtesy of Dianna Russini, a league insider who does her work for The Athletic.
Somewhat surprisingly, Jacksonville is at least considering the possibility of moving out the young pass catcher, Russini reveals: “The Jaguars are listening on calls for WR Brian Thomas Jr., even if a move feels highly unlikely. They’re also shopping for defense.” Digging into the broader context may help to clarify why Jacksonville would be open to moving out a promising receiver.
For starters, the current leadership in Jacksonville didn’t draft Thomas. That detail alone makes a separation more likely.
Plus, the sophomore season hasn’t proceeded as smoothly as his rookie season. Standing at 6’2″ and weighing 209 pounds, Thomas is coming off a 2024 season where he went off for 87 catches, 1,282 yards, and 10 touchdowns. Essentially, the rookie put up WR1 numbers in his debut NFL season, leading to a trip to the Pro Bowl alongside finishing up at fourth in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.
The sophomore has been slumping a touch, though.
Thomas has started his seven games, seeing 55 targets within those contests. He has just 27 catches for 365 yards and 1 score. His yards-per-catch average has dropped from 14.7 to 13.5. On a per-game basis, Thomas’s yardage is down from 75.4 to 52.1. Worse, he has already exceeded last season’s 7 drops by dropping 9 passes in 2025 despite not being halfway through the year.
So, the Jaguars’ decision to at least pickup the phone makes some sense. Brian Thomas, chosen with Minnesota’s No. 23 selection heading into the night, isn’t so tremendous so as to be immovable. Does that take away the sting of opting for Dallas Turner at all?
Plenty has been said about Minnesota’s decision to draft the super long, super athletic Turner. Much better would have been a selection sunk into Jared Verse, a terror along the edge who has proven to be among the NFL’s foremost pass rushers. He got scooped up at No. 19.
One then thinks of corner Quinyon Mitchell, who is a starter for the Philadelphia Eagles after being drafted at No. 22. Plugging him into the defense would solve a major need, giving the Vikings a formidable trio of corners to tango with the other team’s main receiving threats.
In Dallas Turner, the Vikings have someone who oozes potential. He occasionally makes a tremendous play, offering a glimpse of the reason why many felt he would end up as a top-ten selection. Quite often, though, Turner plays shabby run defense while getting stonewalled while rushing the passer.
The 22-year-old Turner has climbed up to 324 snaps on 2025, earning five starts across his seven games. He has offered his Vikings 25 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 4 QB hits, and 3 tackles for loss. PFF gives him a below-average grade coming in at 55.5, meaning he’s listed as the 95th edge rusher out of 118 under consideration.
Seeing Dallas Turner explode in Week 9 by making Jared Goff’s day at the office difficult would go a long way toward assuaging the mounting concerns about his abilities.
