Did the Vikings Draft the Wrong Guy?
The Minnesota Vikings hired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in the 2022 offseason. He has built some decent football teams, but his draft record is flawed, especially because of the memory of the group he selected in 2022. The excuse is that he was working with the old scouting department that has since been replaced.
Did the Vikings Draft the Wrong Guy?
Still, a GM is measured by his success in the draft. A roster can’t be built entirely in free agency. At some point, more homegrown players need to contribute, more than just Jordan Addison and Ivan Pace.
In the 2024 draft, Adofo-Mensah headlined his class with two players: J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner. Ahead of the draft, he acquired a second first-rounder to increase the flexibility to, if necessary, trade a large package for a rookie passer.
He, indeed, maneuvered the board but jumped only one spot to secure McCarthy. Left with the 23rd overall selection, the executive struck another deal, climbing six spots to select Alabama’s pass rusher Turner.
Widely regarded as the best edge rusher in a class without an elite talent like Myles Garrett or Nick Bosa, most expected him to join Kirk Cousins in Atlanta with the 8th overall pick. But he fell to the Vikings, ultimately becoming the 17th player taken.
The expensive trade drew some criticism, but landing Turner did not.
Until now. Rams pass rusher Jared Verse, who also kicked out the Vikings from Super Bowl contention, has played another outstanding postseason matchup against the Eagles. He was selected two picks behind Turner.
A look at the statistics results in an apparent blowout. Turner produced three sacks in his debut season; Verse had 4.5 in the regular season and two in the playoffs. The Rams defender also earned an elite PFF grade of 89.3 and leads the league with 89 QB pressures (including postseason). Turner, meanwhile, ranks tenth among Vikings defenders, with only 12 pressures behind guys like Harrison Phillips, Jihad Ward, and Joshua Metellus.
Turner was stuck on the depth chart behind Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard, who were both selected for their first Pro Bowl trip. Limiting their snaps to increase the opportunities for Turner would’ve been borderline malpractice by defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
So far, without any shadow of a doubt, Verse has outplayed Turner. But there’s some context needed that can ease the pain for now.
For one, Turner is still 21 years old for a few more weeks; Verse turned 24 in November. He was expected to be ready from day one, while Turner was viewed as a guy with a lot of talent who needed to refine his game a little.
Greg Cosell (The33rdTeam) wrote about Minnesota’s rookie ahead of the draft: “Turner needs cultivation and development regarding pass rush moves and counters to maximize his impressive physical traits, including arm length. That will likely take some time, given the increase in the talent level of OT he will face in the NFL. What will help Turner transition to the NFL is he can be deployed as a moveable chess piece, and you could see him as a standup Joker in third-down situations.”
He was right. His physical traits are undeniable. Few players can match his closing speed, and it’s easy to see why he was a first-rounder whenever he stepped onto the field. However, the development time was expected and he is far from a finished project.
The good news is that Turner’s role increased in the second half of the season. He was still a rotational player, of course, but his snap numbers grew and he showcased his impressive physical attributes a couple of times in every game.
At the end of the day, the Vikings preferred Turner due to his long-term potential rather than the immediate help that Verse provided. For now, Verse is clearly the better player, but Turner has some more time to develop into the edge threat Verse already is.
Both the front office and the rookie deserve time for the vision to unfold instead of already throwing around the bust allegations after a rookie season.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Vikings Fans Can Feel a Little Better About Their Line
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