The start of training camp for the Minnesota Vikings is here, and there are plenty of players who need to step up and make good first impressions.
Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy is definitely one of those players, as he replaces Sam Darnold in the starting lineup this year. There's one other former 2024 first-round pick that could use a good training camp and preseason to get the fan base excited.
Recently, The Athletic's Alec Lewis shared one Minnesota player fans should watch for in this summer's training camp. Lewis avoided the obvious choice and picked 2024 first-round edge rusher Dallas Turner.
"Picking quarterback J.J. McCarthy here would’ve been far too easy. So, how about fellow first-rounder Dallas Turner?
The Vikings traded a haul to climb to the No. 17 pick for him in the 2024 NFL Draft. Turner played sparingly in his rookie season, mostly because the Vikings had two phenomenal edge rushers: Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard. Those two players remain. Still, Minnesota is committed to supplying Turner with more playing time.
Will he receive off-the-ball snaps? How will he look rushing off of the edge in his second season? Can defensive coordinator Brian Flores find a way to get Van Ginkel, Greenard and Turner on the field together? These are three of the more interesting questions to observe once the Vikings take the practice fields."
Can Dallas Turner turn it up in 2025 on defense for the Minnesota Vikings?
In his debut season with the Vikings, Turner finished with 20 tackles, five quarterback hits, three tackles for loss, three sacks, one pass deflection, and one interception in 16 games.
Some might look at those numbers and think it was a disappointing season for him. For some more context, Turner played just 300 snaps on defense all year, or 28 percent of the season snaps.
For that little time on the field, that's pretty productive. Turner proved that he can play well when on the field. He just needed last year to learn how to be a pro.
Expectations have been raised for Turner, who is being looked at as a backup, but his defensive coordinator, Brian Flores, thinks more of him as a third starter. Flores recently praised Turner for his appearance in offseason workouts.
What doesn't help Turner with playing time is he has two great edge rushers ahead of him in Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. That will certainly not help him be on the field, but Turner is showing that he should be heavily rotated into the lineup.
Everyone's focus has been on McCarthy, but that other 2024 first-round pick might end up being just as special as McCarthy. Turner is definitely a guy to watch out for in camp as he's ready to make some major noise.