The NFL Is Still Sleeping on Rams Defensive Tackle Kobie Turner

Throughout the entirety of Kobie Turner’s career, he’s overlooked by the NFL. Prior to the NFL Draft, Turner didn’t receive an invite to the Combine. Despite having a productive rookie season and leading all rookies in sacks, Turner wasn’t even part of the Defensive Rookie of the Year betting odds heading into January.

An argument can be made that Turner should have won Defensive Rookie of the Year, and for much of the season he wasn’t even in consideration. Turner has consistently been overlooked and that continues to be the case as he heads into year four.

Kobie Turner Continues to Be Overlooked

ESPN’s Seth Walder recently polled NFL coaches and executives on who the ten best defensive tackles were in the NFL. Not making the list, even as an honorable mention, was Turner. Turner was among others receiving votes, but did not crack the top 13. Ranked ahead of Turner were:

Leonard Williams, SEA
Jeffery Simmons, TEN
Jalen Carter, PHI
Chris Jones, KC
Derrick Brown, CAR
Quinnen Williams, DAL
Dexter Lawrence, CIN
Zach Allen, DEN
Milton Williams, NE
Jordan Davis, PHI
Byron Murphy, SEA
DeForest Buckner, IND
Vita Vea, TB

This isn’t to say that Turner should be ranked inside of the top five, but he certainly deserves to be ranked inside the 8-10 range. While Pro Football Focus isn’t the end-all, be-all, Turner was graded as the fifth-best defensive tackle in the NFL last season. Only Turner, Poona Ford, and Cameron Heyward had top-15 grades in run defense and as a pass rusher.

Why Kobie Turner Deserves Top-10 Consideration

Turner’s 55 pressures and seven sacks both ranked inside the top five among defensive tackles. His win rate of 14 percent via ESPN also ranked fifth among defensive tackles despite having one of the highest double-team rates at 67 percent. While he may not be as impactful against the run, he’s certainly not bad in that area. Turner is a more well-rounded player than someone like Jordan Davis and is more productive as the top player on the Rams’ defensive line than Byron Murphy.

It’s very clear that the Rams view Turner highly, but it’s interesting how the rest of the NFL seems to underrate him. This really makes for an interesting situation next offseason when the Rams will have to decide whether or not to pay Turner.

How Much Is Turner Really Worth?

There’s no doubt that the Rams would like to and Turner will likely be a priority. However, Turner’s current market value of $32.3 million according to Spotrac would make him the second-highest paid interior defensive lineman in APY behind only Simmons. His projected total value of $129.3 million only trails Chris Jones.

It’s worth asking the question of whether the Rams overrate Turner or if the rest of the league is underrating him. The answer is very likely somewhere in the middle. Turner may not be a top five defensive tackle, but he is certainly in that 8-10 range as mentioned. The $32.3 million evaluation from Spotrac seems high, but a team may be willing to pay him that much on the free agent market. Somewhere in the $24 million to $26 million APY range seems more realistic. That would put him in line with Derrick Brown and Quinnen Williams.

Throughout his career, Turner has been underrated, and that remains evident in the recent poll of NFL coaches and executives. While the NFL underrated him coming out of the draft, Turner has continued to prove himself during his first three seasons. It’s only a matter of time before Turner gets the respect he’s deserved and that will come with his contract.

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