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Cardinals to Host Draft's Top Edge Rusher
The Arizona Cardinals have a meeting with Alabama EDGE Dallas Turner.
ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals are set to meet with Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero.
From his report on Twitter/X:
"Alabama edge Dallas Turner, who could be the first defensive player off the board, is visiting the #Vikings today. Minnesota owns the No. 11 pick (and No. 23). A busy pre-draft process for Turner, who also has visits with the #Bears, #Chargers,#Falcons and #Cardinals."
The Cardinals are also reportedly meeting with Washington WR Rome Odunze and Penn State EDGE Chop Robinson today per Pelissero.
Arizona reached the quarterback just 33 times last season, good enough for third-worst in the NFL. With the Cardinals not signing any hefty names at the position in free agency, edge is certainly a slot to watch for any of Arizona's six picks in the first three rounds.
When it comes to outside linebackers, look no further in this class than Turner, who is considered to be at the top of his position and could very well land in the top ten once the dust settles.
From his NFL.com draft profile, which compared him to Brian Burns:
"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." - Lance Zierlein
The 2024 NFL Draft begins on April 25.
