Brian Flores raving about top Vikings rookie heading into Week 1

With J.J. McCarthy getting a ton of attention this offseason, it's easy to forget that the Minnesota Vikings also selected former Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft last April.

Turner has the potential to make an immediate impact for the Vikings this season, and on Tuesday, Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores shared what he's learned about the young pass rusher in the last few months.

"Very athletic, very smart, tough. Nothing but positives quite honestly. I think one of the good things for him is he's in a room with guys like [Jonathan] Greenard, guys like [Andrew Van] Ginkel, and he's like a sponge with that group as far as extracting information and finding ways for him to apply some of those things with his skill-set."

Can Dallas Turner break the Minnesota Vikings record for sacks in a single season by a rookie?

Last season at Alabama, Turner accumulated 55 pressures and 11 sacks in 14 games. If he has the same pace during his rookie campaign with Minnesota this year, he will break the franchise's all-time record for sacks in a single season by a rookie.

Currently, the record 11 sacks and it's held by former Vikings defensive lineman Keith Millard. Back in 1985, Millard managed to rack up 11 sacks in his first year with Minnesota despite only starting six games.

If Turner can remain healthy for most of his rookie season, there's a good chance that he will end up breaking Millard's record, especially in the defensive scheme that Flores likes to run.

Last year, with Flores calling the plays, the Vikings blitzed on 51.5 percent of the opposing team's dropbacks. Turner is going to get a ton of opportunities to bring down the quarterback this season, and if he makes the most of these opportunities, he has a shot at becoming one of the most dominant defensive rookies in Minnesota history.

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