Finding Broncos: Scouting Houston Edge Rusher Payton Turner
Welcome to Finding Broncos, our annual prospect-by-prospect series deep-diving on the coming NFL draft class. The scouting continues with Houston edge rusher Payton Turner, a talented prospect but does he fit the Denver Broncos?
Measurables
- Height: 6 foot 5
- Weight: 270 pounds
Stats
Sports-Reference.com
Pros
- Has good versatility in his role and scheme.
- Hands are active and has good technique.
- While he isn’t very bendy or flexible, he is loose enough to attack out of a 2-point stance.
- His length is insane and he plays low to really maximize the length and play with leverage.
- Will never give up on a play and has some come from behind type plays during his college career.
- Good power at the point of attack to hold up against the run.
- Does a solid job with converting speed to power.
- Lateral agility isn’t great but is good enough to attack on stunts.
Cons
- At Houston, he was moved around a lot and attack from multiple spots, which seemed to impact his ability to make early reads on plays.
- Technique is hit or miss.
- Needs to be a set place for him in the NFL to get the technique down and used consistently before moving him around.
- If you play him as a 2-point rusher, he doesn’t have what it takes to drop into coverage.
- Could be more power to bench offensive linemen off his frame.
- Isn’t super explosive off the snap but has decent enough burst.
Overview
There is a lot to like with Turner because he made a lot of plays at Houston. He plays with good power, which helps him be used from multiple spots, but it seems to have hampered his overall development.
He has alpha edge potential but should be limited to a number 3 role early on in his career. While he has good versatility, he might be best as a 4-3 end as a 7-technique, or bulking up about 10 pounds and being a 3-4 end 5-technique.
Fit with Broncos
Turner’s fit with the Broncos is a peculiar one. They need edge help, but as he is now, he just isn’t a fit as a stand-up 2-point rusher for every snap.
If they used a wider variety of fronts and would line him up as a 7-technique in a 3-point stance, he could work. If they want to make him work without adding more fronts, then the best option is to bulk him up 10 pounds and play him as a 5-technique. If they do that, he could fill in the hole that could be left with DeMarcus Walker’s departure.
Grade: Round 3
Where he goes: Round 3
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