Dallas Turner on Vikings Rookie Minicamp: Like a Kid With a Backpack Leash

While J.J. McCarthy got to hit the ground running during Vikings rookie minicamp this weekend, fellow first-round pick Dallas Turner had to be a bit more patient. The practices included 7-on-7 action with minimal contact — and no 11-on-11 reps. As an outside linebacker, Turner got to go through individual drills and drop into coverage a few times, but he'll have to wait a bit longer to start to show off his abilities as a pass rusher and run defender.

"There's a reason why I have pretty strong feelings about doing team (drills) full-speed at rookie
minicamp," Kevin O'Connell said. "In many ways, it's to protect the guys from themselves (by not) adding those extra few big guys on the field. We had kind of a golden rule of staying off the ground today."

Turner came up with a fantastic analogy when asked about that element of rookie minicamp.

"It’s like seeing a little kid in public and the mom has a backpack leash on them," he said. "The kid wants to go out there and run, play and do all this stuff and the mom's like 'nope, come back over here.' It’s like that. They’re easing us into it but once everyone gets here we’re going to to be rocking."

The Vikings are very excited about Turner, the former Alabama star who they traded up to select with the No. 17 overall pick in this year's draft. They believe he has immense upside in the NFL and will be a heck of a piece for Brian Flores to deploy in various ways during his rookie season. The 21-year-old Turner had 10 sacks last year and is a explosive, long-armed edge rusher with a versatile skill set.

"For Dallas, (these practices are about) just getting comfortable in that home position on the edge as an outside linebacker," O'Connell said. "And then from there, once he can kind of build that comfort, then you can begin to stress him, snap in and snap out, where he's lining up in some different spots, doing some different jobs depending on down and distance, who else he's in the game with."

The Vikings reloaded their OLB room in impressive fashion after losing Danielle Hunter and D.J. Wonnum this offseason. Veteran free agent pickups Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel are the current starters in that room, but Turner is going to play a lot alongside them. Flores should have a lot of fun designing pressure packages with that trio, inside linebackers Ivan Pace Jr. and Blake Cashman, and blitz-happy safeties Josh Metellus and Harrison Smith at his disposal.

For now, Turner is biding his time and trying to learn everything he can from coaches like Flores.

"You can tell that he definitely doesn't play no games," Turner said of Flores. "He’s all about business, handling business and I’m about the same thing too. The energy is just colliding and it's very good energy. I’m willing to be a sponge and learn whatever I can from him and all the coaches."

First look at Dallas Turner in Minnesota pic.twitter.com/U7nQCFiiGl
— vikesinsider (@vikesinsider) May 10, 2024

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