Vikings Had a Long Meeting with “Violent” Defender
The Minnesota Vikings have made some splashy moves this offseason. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores undoubtedly is happy about having a pair of game-changing defensive tackles in the building who can get after the quarterback, something the franchise had missed in the last few years.
Vikings Had a Long Meeting with “Violent” Defender
More help could be on the way for Flores. After watching the Eagles win the Super Bowl with an endless repertoire of defensive linemen, Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah might even double down on his double dip.
At the Texas A&M Pro Day, the brass met with defensive lineman Shemar Turner, according to Tony Pauline from SportsKeeda.
He reported, “Turner had dinner with the Cowboys on Wednesday night and met with the New York Jets later in the evening. On Thursday, he met at length with the Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins before pro day.”
Long meetings don’t happen at this busy time unless there’s at least some level of interest. According to Pauline, Turner looked great in his drills despite having little time to prepare for the event.
“Turner was run through defensive line drills and looked great. He was fluid as well as smooth and easily moved around the field. You may remember that I reported from the Senior Bowl that Turner had a rod put into his leg to fix a stress fracture he suffered last August.”
The defender still competed in 12 games last season, tabulating a pair of sacks and 36 tackles. Pauline continued:
“It was a procedure many questioned as unnecessary, as the fracture never properly healed. Ultimately, Turner was forced to rest so the fracture could heal, which pushed back the timetable for his predraft training and, in the end, prevented him from testing at the combine or pro day. In fact, Turner had barely a week to prepare for Thursday’s pro-day workout, yet teams feel after watching him that the late part of Round 1 is not completely out of the question.”
Throughout his college career, Turner logged 115 tackles and 10 sacks in 43 games.
Draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote about the prospect: “Three-year starter with ‘tweener’ measurables but excellent musculation and lean mass. Turner plays with unlimited activity and a heavy dose of violence. He has a quick first step and an explosive punch.”
“He’s capable of holding the point against single blocks or working the gaps with foot quickness. His pressure rate is hurt by a lack of length but he’s a restless rusher who hunts blockers’ edges and will eventually leak through if the play extends. His athleticism and chase quickness will see him in or near the pile with some frequency as a future starter.”
The purple team now has eight defensive linemen under contract for the 2025 campaign:
- Jonathan Allen
- Harrison Phillips
- Javon Hargrave
- Jalen Redmond
- Taki Taimani
- Levi Drake Rodriguez
- Jonathan Harris
- Travis Bell
The room is much improved on paper. Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave are significant upgrades over the departed Jerry Tillery (signed with the Chiefs) and Jonathan Bullard (still available). They will form the top trio with Harrison Phillips.
Jalen Redmond showed flashes in his first season with the Vikings and will likely compete with Taki Taimani and Levi Drake Rodriguez for the rotational roles.
If Turner is indeed Minnesota’s first draft choice in April, he will also enter that competition and likely be stuck in a rotational role for a year or two, considering the logjam ahead of him. That could remind folks of Dallas Turner in 2024 and likely 2025.
The good news is that the Eagles have shown that there are never too many linemen on a football team. Having a young understudy in the building who can grow into a larger role in a year or two makes sense.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, Sports Reference CFB, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt