Kevin O’Connell lays out plan for Dallas Turner in Minnesota Vikings defense

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is ready to see rookie edge rusher Dallas Turner become an impact player. While speaking to reporters during rookie minicamp on Friday, O’Connell detailed the plan for Turner in the Vikings’ defense.

“The big thing is learning the base way that we align, base way we want to play defense,” O’Connell said. “There are some newer things that all of our guys will be learning and getting on the field and doing together for the first time in a lot of ways when we get rolling.

“For Dallas, it’s just getting comfortable in that home position on the edge as an outside linebacker. And then from there, once he can kind of build that comfort, then you can begin to stress him snap in snap out where he’s lining up in some different spots doing some different jobs depending on down and distance, who else is he in the game with.”

Dallas Turner talks about being selected by the Vikings

Turner was selected by the Vikings at No. 17 overall in this year’s draft. The former Alabama Crimson Tide star was the third defensive player taken in the draft behind defensive lineman Byron Murphy II and edge rusher Laiatu Latu.

“It was definitely a surreal moment, seeing the area code and where the phone call was coming from,” Turner said after being drafted by the Vikings, per Vikings.com. “Thanks to those dudes and to the Wilf family for taking a chance on me and picking me up at 17.”

During rookie minicamp Turner was asked about O’Connell’s limits on Friday’s session. “You ever see a little kid in public and the mom has a backpack ‘leash’ on them?” Turner asked. “The kid wants to go out there run, play and do all this stuff, and the mom’s like, ‘Nope, come back over here.’ It’s like that. They’re easing us into it, but once everyone gets here, we’re going to be rocking.”

Turner joins the Vikings after having a memorable 2023 season with the Crimson Tide. Along with helping the team win the SEC and reach the College Football Playoffs, Turner was named SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year and was a consensus All-American.

“I’m a very ambitious person, so as soon as I found … what I knew I was going to do for the sport of football, I went hard. I wanted to know everything about it,” Turner said. “I wanted to know different pass rushes, how they rush, and just different techniques and stuff like that. And I was willing to learn a lot.