The biggest storyline heading into the 2025 Minnesota Vikings season will be J.J. McCarthy and how he looks in offseason practices as he prepares to take over as the starting quarterback on a roster that is loaded with talent. But don't forget about the Vikings' other 2024 first-round draft pick. Dallas Turner, the 17th overall selection last year, could be in line for a much-improved second season after a quiet rookie campaign.
Turner simply wasn't needed in a major role last year. Brian Flores' defense had Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel as its top two outside linebackers, and that duo went on to combine for 23.5 sacks, 36 total tackles for loss, and two Pro Bowl berths. Pat Jones II, who had seven sacks in a contract year, was the No. 3 player in that room.
That didn't leave a whole lot for Turner, who was just 21 years old as a rookie. He played a total of 302 defensive snaps in the regular season, finishing with a stat line of 20 tackles, three sacks, 12 pressures, and an interception. His PFF grade was 64.1.
But in 2025, the path is cleared for a much bigger season from Turner. Jones is gone, having signed a two-year deal with the Panthers in free agency. That should allow Turner to play more like 500-600 defensive snaps (30-35 per game) as the third OLB behind (and alongside) Greenard and Van Ginkel. Head coach Kevin O'Connell is expecting to see major strides from the Alabama product this year.
"I hope people haven't forgotten about Dallas Turner," O'Connell said in an interview with NFL Network this weekend. "Really a guy that I'm expecting a huge jump from, year one to year two. He really started to come on as the season went on last year. It's a tough group, tough lineup to crack when you've got those top two guys playing the way that they were."
It's fair to be concerned that Turner didn't have more of an immediate impact last year, even in the context of the Vikings' strong OLB group. It's also fair to still be optimistic about the long-term prospects of a guy who had 22.5 sacks in three years at Alabama and was projected by many as a top-ten pick in the 2024 draft. Turner did show some improvement over the course of the year, highlighted by a stretch in December where he had either a sack or an interception in three consecutive games.
Turner has been hard at work this offseason, preparing for what he hopes will be a breakout year. The Vikings are certainly hoping he can make it happen, considering how many picks they invested in moving up to get him in last year's draft.
With the additions of Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave in free agency, the Vikings' pass rush should be absolutely nasty in 2025. If Turner does indeed make a second-year leap, it'll only make that element of Flores' defense even scarier.
