The 2 Young Vikings Who Actually Showed Up in Week 11
Once again, the Minnesota Vikings failed to play complementary football, leading to yet another loss; already the sixth this season and the fourth at home. The offense didn’t show up for the first 57 minutes, while special teams put the nail in the coffin. Brian Flores’ defense was shut out in the takeaway department, but they mostly held the Bears in check.
The 2 Young Vikings Who Actually Showed Up in Week 11
Ultimately, the squad just isn’t good enough because they rarely play an all-around solid game.
On Sunday, two young Vikings showed up. They were quite pricey to acquire, but the duo showed why the organization was excited to get their hands on them.
Let’s start with sophomore Dallas Turner. It took two trade-ups in the 2024 draft to acquire Alabama’s defender, pretty much costing the Vikings their entire war chest of day-two draft picks in 2024 and 2025.
Last year, Turner was stuck behind Pro Bowlers Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel, only playing a rotational role with Patrick Jones also in the mix. He recorded three sacks and an interception along the way, looking mostly unremarkable with a couple of splash plays mixed in here and there.
This season, he once again came off the bench, but Andrew Van Ginkel’s neck injury opened the door for him to step into the All-Pro’s versatile role in Flores’ defense. Van Ginkel returned to the field and Turner to the bench — until Greenard suffered a shoulder injury against the Ravens.
Suddenly, Turner was asked to replace Greenard, whose job isn’t to be a versatile chess piece but to get after the quarterback. And he might be a better fit for that. On Sunday, Turner had perhaps the biggest game of his career, as the criticism of his draft selection had gotten louder and he could finally show that he was, indeed, worth the investment.
He proved doubters wrong, registering seven tackles (two for loss), a sack, and a pass breakup. In what can be classified as his coming-out party, Turner was disruptive, and he made plays all day. It’s also time to credit Caleb Williams. Chicago’s QB wiggled out of multiple potential sacks and made plays with his legs. Turner got him on the ground once.
The other young Viking — another first-rounder — who did quite well on Sunday and showed big-time potential is Donovan Jackson. This year’s top rookie pitched a perfect game, not allowing a single QB pressure in addition to decent blocking in the ground game.
In April, the Vikings could’ve gone after a defensive back, as the safety and the cornerback rooms could’ve used another body and an infusion of youth. Some wanted a new running back, and others pointed at the talented running back class. Given the teams behind the Vikings traded back, perhaps a trade was on the table, too.
Instead, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah selected Ohio State’s Jackson to complete the interior offensive line overhaul. He’s not always been perfect on Sundays, but he’s mostly been solid. For a young offensive lineman, that is not a given, as they have to adjust to the different game speed and strength at the next level.
Jackson looks the part and could turn into a foundational piece along the offensive line. The Vikings’ draft success over the last decade hasn’t been pretty (and there’s some concern about J.J. McCarthy), but Jackson and Turner have shown promise.
In Sunday’s otherwise disappointing outing, at least there’s that silver lining.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.