2024 NFL Draft: Dallas Turner scouting report

WCG’s lead draft analyst breaks down one of the top defenders in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The race for the top edge rusher in the 2024 NFL Draft is a tight one that relies on what flavor of pass-rusher you prefer. If you want to bet on athletic tools in Round 1, Dallas Turner is likely your guy.

The Crimson Tide standout had a strong 2022 season but had No. 3 overall pick Will Anderson Jr. rushing alongside him. He really came into his own in 2023 as Alabama’s top edge rusher, finishing as a consensus All-American and the SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year.

What exactly does Turner do well, though? Is there enough to like in his game to propel him to be the first edge rusher selected in a class that doesn’t have a consensus EDGE1? Let’s explore this by breaking down one of the top defender in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Games watched: vs. Tennessee, 2021; vs. Mississippi State, 2022; @ Texas, 2022; vs. Auburn, 2022; vs. Texas, 2023; vs. LSU, 2023

Strengths

• Projected as running in the 4.5 range in the 40-yard dash, and that testing speed shows up on tape
• Explosive athlete with great quickness off the line of scrimmage
• Offers tremendous range as a tackler in the open field
• Plays with a high motor in pursuit, which helps him get to the quarterback and create penetration in opposing backfields
• Has good flexibility turning the corner and maintaining a sharp angle to the ball on outside speed rushes
• Does a good job of keeping his pads low and his weight evenly distributed underneath him
• Good at winning with speed moves like rips, swims and two-handed swipes that emphasize finesse
• Capable of dropping back into coverage and looks like a natural doing so
• Good collegiate production with 22.5 sacks and 32.5 tackles for a loss in his 3 seasons at Alabama

Weaknesses

• Listed at 6-foot-4 and 242 pounds, which is a bit light for an edge rusher
• Doesn’t have tremendous play strength and can struggle with setting the edge against bigger offensive tackles
• Can do a better job of quickly determining which moves to string together to deconstruct blocks
• Has a tendency to rely too much on his physical gifts at times
• Could stand to add a bit more strength to his lower body to get better at converting speed to power

Summary

Turner is the best speed rusher in the 2024 NFL Draft.

He’s not a blue-chip prospect off the edge like a Myles Garrett or Nick Bosa, but he’s definitely worth selecting in the first half of Round 1. He’s a dynamic athlete with elite acceleration and tremendous speed out in the open field. His sheer quickness and fluidity makes him difficult to beat as an outside speed rusher and gives him an extremely high ceiling at the NFL level.

Because of his athleticism and lack of top-notch play strength with his hand in the dirt, Turner projects best as a stand-up outside linebacker in a base 3-4 system. He isn’t as refined of a technician as Florida State’s Jared Verse and UCLA’s Laiatu Latu, but he’s the most physically gifted of the bunch. That alone could make him the first edge rusher selected in the 2024 draft, going as high as No. 8 to the Falcons. Other EDGE-needy teams like the Bears, Vikings and Broncos would be wise to do their homework on him.

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