The book on Week 1 of the Minnesota Vikings' 20-10 preseason win over the Houston Texans is in the books, as there was hope for an impressive showing from 2024 first-round pick Dallas Turner, but it was a quiet one for him.
On the first play of the Texans' offensive possession, Turner did make a nice play on Houston running back Dare Ogunbowale for just four yards. That would be about it for Turner, as it was a quiet rest of the first drive for him that ended in a Texans touchdown.
Part of what made Turner's performance mostly unmemorable was that he only really played the first drive of the game. He had trouble trying to beat rookie tackle Aireontae Ersery off the edge as Turner didn't get much pressure on quarterback Davis Mills.
Ogunbowale was able to pop off a nine, six, and seven-yard runs on that drive, where Turner struggled to get there to stop the run. Houston had a fairly easy time running the football.
No panic in Turner's performance, but what must the Minnesota Vikings' edge rusher do to improve
Fans need to remember that Turner didn't play as much in his rookie season in 2024, only clocking in 300 snaps on defense, and still managed to get 20 tackles, five quarterback hits, three tackles for loss, three sacks, and one interception in 16 games. While it wasn't always perfect, Turner made the most of his defensive reps.
He's a raw talent who can get off the edge quickly to make plays in pass-rushing or run-stopping situations. It's more about him being able to get off of blocks and take on those bigger linemen, as Turner is only around 250 pounds, going up against men who are over 300 pounds.
Many fans are already calling him a bust, but he didn't get much playing time in this game. It is way too early to call him a bust, especially since he hasn't been on the field enough to warrant that.
Dallas Turner has all the skills and abilities to be a great pass rusher. The Texans' preseason game is too small a sample size to start burying him. He still has a chance to be a great defender in the NFL with more time and reps in the preseason and the regular season.