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Edge rusher Dallas Turner of the Minnesota Vikings.
Minnesota Vikings 3rd-year edge rusher Dallas Turner is approaching an interesting year in his career.
He was taken 17th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Vikings, the same draft they landed J.J. McCarthy. Earlier that offseason, Minnesota signed two big-time edge rushers who are still stealing time from Turner in 2026.
The Vikings signed Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard, who have proven to be one of the best edge rushing duos in the league. This has proven to be a thorn in Dallas Turner’s side, as he just can’t find starting minutes.
Now, it’s looking like Dallas Turner is going to have the green light to go. Turner will start across from Van Ginkel, and could finally make his mark in his third year. Because we haven’t been able to see a ton of Turner yet, NFL.com noted him as one of the NFL’s underappreciated players.
GettyDETROIT, MICHIGAN – APRIL 25: Dallas Turner poses after being selected 17th overall by the Minnesota Vikings during the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza on April 25, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
NFL.com Special Projects Lead Tom Blair recently gave some flowers to Dallas Turner.
“Turner didn’t do much in 2024 after being drafted 17th overall, appearing in 16 games as a rookie but playing just 28 percent of Minnesota’s defensive snaps and mustering a paltry three sacks. His eight-sack effort last season sort of snuck by me, with 4.5 of those coming between Weeks 13 and 18, when the Vikings were mostly playing out the string on the remainder of a lost season.
Turner’s encouraging sophomore effort came into better focus when I was digging deeper into a slightly bizarre (but positive!) speculative case I was building about his team. Thanks to Jonathan Greenard‘s exit via trade, it is looking like Turner’s, uh, turn to show what he can really do. So don’t be like me; start appreciating Turner now, before it’s too late.”
The Vikings will need Dallas Turner to pull through after parting ways with a player like Jonathan Greenard. Minnesota will also want to start seeing some productivity out of their 2024 first round selections, whether it be Turner or J.J. McCarthy.
GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – JANUARY 04: J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings reacts during the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium on January 04, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report recently gave a grim prediction for J.J. McCarthy in the competition.
“The thing is, this probably isn’t going to be much of a battle. Murray’s last few seasons have not been his best, but even then he has been better than McCarthy in just about every statistical category.
Murray is also a former Offensive Rookie of the Year and a two-time Pro Bowler who has shown he can take a team to the playoffs.
If head coach Kevin O’Connell can work half the magic with Murray he did with Sam Darnold, the Vikings could be a formidable team this season.
Projected Winner: Murray“.
If McCarthy was to win this competition, then it could be fair to say the Vikings truly got their guy. When at his best, Kyler Murray is a very good NFL QB. That being said, competition brings out the best in people.
If the best of J.J. McCarthy outduels the best of Kyler Murray, then the Vikings could be back on track to having McCarthy be the face of the franchise going into the 2030’s.
Brevan Bane Brevan Bane is a sports scribe covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals. Brevan began his writing career by making a platform on Twitter and leveraging his presence into writing and content creation opportunities for outlets like PurplePTSD, Vikings Territory, The Noise, Hockey Wilderness, and the VikesNow YouTube channel. You can follow him on X @brevmanbane. More about Brevan Bane
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