Mel Kiper Jr. reveals why he has Dallas Turner as top ten prospect in 2024 NFL Draft

On Monday, ESPN’s Mel Kiper broke down his Top 10 NFL Draft prospect. Alabama EDGE Dallas Turner was the first name on Kiper’s list. On Monday, Kiper explained why he believes Turner is the No. 10 overall prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft.

“This year, [Dallas Turner] turned it on,” Kiper said. “He went from four sacks to eight sacks. He went from eight tackles for loss to 14.5. He had a couple of forced fumbles. What I really liked was the hustle and the relentless approach of Dallas Turner, evident in the fact that he had 37 tackles last year [while] this year, he had 53.

“He got after the quarterback. He didn’t really ever stop. He always had the pedal to the metal, getting after the quarterback and you saw the increase in production. We know he’s going to test well… I think he goes somewhere in that Top 10 to 15 overall.”

Turner’s résumé is stunning. In the 2023 campaign, Turner tallied 53 tackles, 15.5 tackles for a loss, 11.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and a pass defended. He was selected as one of the Crimson Tide’s permanent team captains, starting all 14 games.

For his efforts, Turner was named a consensus first-team All-American, earning those honors from the AFCA, the Associated Press, the FWAA and The Sporting News. He was also named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year by the league’s coaches.

Mel Kiper wasn’t always confident in Dallas Turner

Despite Turner’s fantastic year, Kiper wasn’t always certain the Alabama linebacker would live up to expectations.

“I was concerned going into this year because last year, opposite Will Anderson Jr., [Turner] only had four sacks and eight tackles for loss,” Kiper said. “I said, ‘What’s it going to be when he’s the guy?’ Remember, Alabama lost seven of its top eight tacklers.

“Dallas Turner was gonna be one of the impactful players hopefully that would allow them not to say, ‘we’re rebuilding,’ but ‘we’re reloading’ at Alabama.”

Alabama not only reloaded, it nearly shot a bullseye. After falling to Texas in Week 2, Alabama rattled off 11 straight wins to reach the College Football Playoff, including a victory over No. 1 Georgia. Turner contributed four tackles, including one sack (-5 yards), in the SEC Championship Game.

Now, Kiper expects the 6-foot-4, 250-pound LB to be rewarded for his accomplishments. The 2024 NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Michigan, with the first round on Thursday, April 25, the second and third rounds on Friday, April 26, and the fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday, April 27.