Excitement filled the air after the Minnesota Vikings traded up in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft to select former Alabama standout edge rusher Dallas Turner.
Since then, however, the excitement has died down a bit as Turner's development has taken a little longer than expected. He took a few more steps last season (his 8.0 sacks led the team), but the Vikings still haven't shown any signs of wanting to give him more of a full-time role in 2026.
If Minnesota ends up not trading Jonathan Greenard before, during, or after the NFL Draft later this month, then even more questions are going to be raised about the Vikings' plans for Turner next season.
In an episode of "The Paul Allen Show" earlier this week, Vikings play-by-play announcer Paul Allen didn't pull any punches when talking about Minnesota's approach with the former 2024 first-round pick.
"[The Vikings] want to play him, [but] Greenard's better than him until proven otherwise. [Andrew] Van Ginkle is, probably, can argue the best of the three, but he and Greenard are 1 and 1A, whichever way you want to go.
I'm just not sure they know what to do with Dallas Turner.”
What should the expectations be for Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Dallas Turner in 2026?
Thankfully, Turner is still only 23-years-old and he likely hasn't hit the prime of his NFL career yet. However, one of the biggest benefits of selecting him in the first round is the ability to take advantage of how affordable of his rookie contract is, and the Vikings haven't really been able to do that yet.
Minnesota figuring out a way to trade Greenard this offseason would certainly help, but if that doesn't happen, Turner will likely have a role in the 2026 campaign that is similar to the one he had last season.
If Greenard is still with the Vikings to begin next season, the best-case scenario would probably be one where the team attempts to move him elsewhere before the trade deadline because they can no longer waste Turner's talent on the sideline.
Minnesota's young edge rusher isn't anywhere near bust territory right now, but the team is quietly running out of time to take advantage of utilizing him while he's still playing on a cheap rookie contract.