A Vikings Pass Rusher is Desperate for a Breakout
In a lot of ways, J.J. McCarthy is the player who most generates bust discussion. Does that arrive for Vikings pass rusher Dallas Turner?
Getting Mr. Turner to town cost a true boatload. Indeed, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah vastly overspent to scoop up the Alabama defender. Seeing Turner rise to the level of being an elite, game-wrecking talent would mean the trade was a wise (albeit pricey) choice. However, anything less than being an All Pro means that Minnesota majorly erred.
Vikings Pass Rusher Dallas Turner Needs a Breakout
All along, the plan was to see Jonathan Greenard’s timeline overlap with the development of Dallas Turner.
The pair of pass rushers became Vikings during the same offseason. In March of 2024, Greenard got signed to a four-year agreement for a total compensation package sitting at $76 million. In April of 2024, Turner got added via the No. 17 selection. He then put pen to paper on a four-year deal (but with the possibility of a fifth year due to the built-in team option for all 1st-Round picks).
On a basic level, seeing Greenard gone as Turner ascends isn’t much of a surprise. The Vikings’ front office planned for the scenario that may have come to fruition a year earlier than anticipated.
One nevertheless wonders if the thought was that Turner would be better than he is currently. After all, the Vikings spent a ton of picks to rise up from No. 23 to get to No. 17. Trade charts would insist that Minnesota got ripped off. Proving these trade charts wrong means choosing a player who absolutely obliterates his draft slot.
For an example, consider the value that Minnesota has received by opting for Justin Jefferson at No. 22. Doing a redraft would see Jefferson go at No. 2 overall, only behind QB Joe Burrow. Even going so high would still be excellent value for Jefferson.
Dallas Turner hasn’t yet shown that he can be in that Justin Jefferson level of excellence. What he has shown is improvement alongside oodles of potential. In essence, the tools to become a weekly terror but not yet somebody who has fully arrived.
Last year, Turner earned a 65.5 PFF grade. Digging a bit further sees a 70.2 pass rushing grade, good for 39th among the 110 being considered. Essentially, that’s an EDGE2 assessment when Minnesota drafted somebody to be a game-wrecking EDGE1.
Turner’s broader statistics paint a similar picture. In 2025, Turner’s stats show 66 tackles, 8 sacks, 15 quarterback hits, 11 tackles for loss, 3 passes defended, and 4 forced fumbles. Solid, not sizzling.
If Turner has already reached his ceiling — and he has given zero evidence to suggest that’s the case — then the pick was a terrible move for the Vikings. Much more likely, folks, is a scenario where Turner is still improving. How much better can he get?
If, in the end, the Vikings boast a young fella who piles up 12+ sacks annually, hits the quarterback all the time, chases down runners for a loss, knocks down passes at the line of scrimmage, creates fumbles, and more generally creates chaos then he’ll be have been worth it. He’ll need to do these things over the next five to ten years.
Mr. Turner is still only 23.
