NFL Draft Profile: Kobie Turner, Interior Defensive Linemen, Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Kobie Turner
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
#2
Pos: iDL
Ht: 6022
Wt: 288
Hand: 1018
Arm: 3200
Wing: 7778
40: 5.10
DOB: 4/26/1999
Hometown: Clifton, VA
High School: Centreville
Eligibility: 2023
One Liner:
Turner thrived in 2022 despite jumping from the Colonial Athletic Association to the ACC, but the college veteran needs to polish his hand usage and pass rush moves before becoming an impact NFL player.
Evaluation:
Turner lined up everywhere from 4-tech to 1-tech for Wake Forest. His experience on the punt return, punt coverage, and field goal block units means he’ll contribute as a rookie, even if he can’t crack the defensive lineup. Turner’s motor runs hot. He makes plays downfield in pursuit and has a history of punching the ball out. As an athlete, Turner displays good agility for an interior player. His core strength, balance, and lower-body control are impressive. The redshirt senior fires off the line quickly and with good leverage. He compresses and uncoils his body at the snap with ideal extension out of his stance. This sometimes leads to Turner flashing an explosive first step. He’s able to get skinny and shoot gaps as a penetration player. Turner’s hands and arms remain active, and he keeps his feet churning. Turner keeps his eyes in the backfield to track the running back and flows down the line to the football. He’s learned to soften shoulders to slip around blocks into the backfield. Turner spins back into the play when his rush carries him too far upfield. He displays a rip move but otherwise lacks a developed set of pass rush moves. Turner often tries to out-hustle his opponents on extended plays or win immediately off the snap. He struggles to beat linemen once his initial burst wears off. Turner lacks the bend to contribute as an outside edge rusher, but his tweener build and arm length make him vulnerable along the interior. The Richmond transfer doesn’t hold up against double teams and can be caved in or sealed to open rush lanes. Turner ends up on his knees more than ideal, although he recovers quickly on these plays and sometimes even rallies to make the tackle. The older prospect allows offensive linemen into his chest and lacks the arm length to provide an immediate counter in this situation. Turner’s hands are wild and undisciplined. Despite his leg drive, the All-ACC selection’s lower body lacks the power to displace linemen. Turner doesn’t consistently separate from blocks in the run or pass game. He needs to develop more counters and a better set of initial moves to prevent these low-impact reps.
Grade:
5th Round
Background:
Turner was a defensive line recruit from Centreville High School in Clifton, Va., in the class of 2017. He didn’t receive a star ranking from ESPN, 247Sports, Rivals, or On3.com. Turner was a two-year starter in high school. He earned First-Team All-District honors as a defensive and offensive lineman. Turner was on USA Today's Second-Team All-Virginia offensive line and was a Second-Team All-State 6A OL/DL selection. He was part of the undefeated 2013 team that won the state title and 2014 13-2 team that finished as the state runners-up. Turner transferred from Richmond to Wake Forest ahead of the 2022 season. He has one sister and two brothers, including A.J. Turner, who played running back at South Carolina from 2015-19. The younger Turner’s trophy case includes many all-conference awards. He was a Third-Team All-Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) selection in 2019 and a First-Team All-CAA selection in 2020 and 2021. Stats Perform picked Turner as an FCS Second-Team All-American in 2020, the same year he was the CAA Co-Defensive Player of the Year. The transfer earned Third-Team All-ACC honors in 2022.
