Vikings Trade Up Again in 1st Round, Select EDGE Dallas Turner (Alabama)

The Minnesota Vikings are making waves in the 1st round of tonight’s 2024 NFL Draft. After staying patient and waiting until the very last moment to move up one spot to take their quarterback of the future, JJ McCarthy, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made another trade up an hour later.

Minnesota Vikings trade up (again) for Alabama EDGE Dallas Turner

Instead of trading back and collecting a little bit of draft capital for tomorrow, the Vikings turned their target forward, moving up from No. 23 to No. 17, to pick arguably the most talented defensive player in the draft, Alabama’s Dallas Turner. To complete the deal, Minnesota gave up No. 23, No. 167, along with 3rd and 4th rounders in 2025.

#Vikings take Dallas Turner at 17.#Jaguars get 23, 157 (fifth round), a 2025 third-round pick and a 2025 fourth-round pick. https://t.co/rMAmrScylg

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 26, 2024

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Turner finished tied for the SEC lead (8th nationally) with 10 sacks as part of 53 total tackles, which included a team-high 14.5 TFLs. He also added 13 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and a pass breakup.

Long and athletic with the explosive traits needed to become an impactful NFL pass rusher. 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.

Dallas Turner Draft Profile via NFL.com

As of now, the Minnesota Vikings are not due to be on the clock again until Saturday, as they do not have any picks scheduled on day two (rounds 2 and 3).

Related: Minnesota Vikings 2024 Draft Grades, Pick-by-Pick Analysis