Minnesota Vikings select Dallas Turner in first round of 2024 NFL Draft

The Minnesota Vikings selected former Alabama pass rusher Dallas Turner in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He spent the last three seasons as a top defensive player for the Crimson Tide, leading them to an SEC Championship and an appearance to the College Football Playoff last season. The Vikings traded up for the No. 17 overall selection and the No. 23 overall selection. The Jaguars got a 2025 third round pick and a 2025 fourth round pick.

Turner was named a first-team All-American by CBS Sports, The Athletic and USA Today after recording 53 tackles, a team-high 14.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks which led the SEC. He was named a finalist for the Bednarik Award, which is presented to the nation’s top defender.

One of Turner’s best games from last season was against Ole Miss where he had 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. He also stood out in the SEC Championship game against the Georgia Bulldogs, tallying a sack and four tackles to help Alabama take down the Bulldogs who haven’t lost a game since the 2021 SEC Championship.

Turner played high school football at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he was a five-star recruit. He ranked as the No. 9 overall prospect and the No. 2 edge rusher in the 2021 class, according to the On3 Industry Rating, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Dallas Turner

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein provided some analysis on Turner’s game in his recent court of the pass rusher’s draft profile. He compared him to Brian Burns, a two-time Pro Bowler who has recorded 46 sacks in five seasons with the Carolina Panthers (now with the New York Giants).

“Long and athletic with the explosive traits needed to become an impactful NFL pass rusher,” Zierlein wrote. “Turner’s first-step quickness and elite closing burst are important building blocks, but he still needs to work on his process from Point A to Point B. He hasn’t learned to create the space and angles needed to consistently attack the edges, but that should come with better hand development and a more diversified approach.

“A team would be wise to widen him out and allow him a better runway to ignite his burst and overwhelm tackles with his speed. He’s added 20 pounds since coming to Alabama, but he struggles at times to stack and shed run blockers or set a firm edge. Turner’s frame and game are much less developed than Will Anderson Jr.’s coming out of Alabama last year, so it could take time for him to make his mark as a starting 3-4 outside linebacker.”