Scouting Report: Dallas Turner (EDGE) - Alabama
Sales Pitch: “An explosive bendy pass rusher with sky high upside. A former 5-Star recruit with plus speed. power and length he checks all the physical boxes of a Round 1 EDGE. However, inconsistent effort and limited pass rush polish create a boom/bust project.”
Athletic Profile
Height: 6’ 2 3/4”
Weight: 247 lbs
Arm Length: 34 3/8”
Hand Size: 9 7/8”
40 Yard Dash: 4.46
10 Yard Split: 1.61
Vertical: 40.5”
Broad Jump: 10’ 7”
Short Shuttle: N/A
3-Cone: N/A
Age: 21
Relative Athletic Score: 8.86 / 10.00
Statistics
Career: 117 Pressures - 25 Sacks - 70 Tackles - 72 STOPs
2023: 55 Pressures - 11 Sacks - 29 Tackles - 25 STOPs
Strengths
Dynamic and explosive athlete
Flexible and powerful core capable of staying on track through contact
Quick first step to attack upfield
Smooth hips that he can easily flip to turn the corner
Wins as a pass rusher primarily w/ plus physical gifts
Long arms and explosive lower half make the straight-arm and speed to power his go-to moves
Powerful hands capable of stunning and shedding blocks in run game
Lower body strength and leverage to set a strong edge vs pullers and kickout blocks
Agility and balance to navigate traffic in run defense and scramble drill
Massive pursuit range due to high end movement skills
Effective looper on stunts and twists
Athletic ability to drop into coverage or spy quarterbacks
Weaknesses
Slow read and react skills when put into conflict
Tendency to disappear for large stretches of games
Struggles to play under control as a tackler in space
Delayed getting off the line when in 3-point stance
Limited pass rush arsenal that lacks counters and secondary moves
Lacks size or strength to play in a 2-Gap system or take on double teams
Late to shoot hands when faced with aggressive lineman
On and off motor as a backside run defender
Questionable pursuit angles, can over estimate athletic gifts
Massive spike in missed tackles in 2023
Summary
Dallas Turner is a former 5-Star recruit and the #2 overall player from the state of Florida. A high caliber athlete he earned playing time from the jump and was a two year starter for the Crimson Tide, being awarded team captain and All-American honors in 2023. Turner’s evaluation is primarily built around his physical gifts. He is an explosive athlete with a long muscular frame. He wins largely as a pass rusher with his first step quickness and hand strength. Turner’s best moves are the straight-arm and speed to power. He uses his powerful hands and dynamic lower half to quickly uncoil and unleash quick strikes to lineman’s chests, driving them back into the QBs lap. He has the balance and flexibility to drop his weight and turn the corner through contact. At this point Turner’s pass rush game is largely built around his physical gifts. He lacks counters or secondary moves in his game to work off his bread and butter moves. He struggles to win as a pass rusher versus lineman that can match his physical gifts. In the run game Turner is at his best when asked to set the edge with his solid anchor and excellent length. He struggles to read and react in the run game when put in conflict. He also lacks the size or hand placement to take on and defeat double teams or bigger lineman at the point of attack. Turner struggled to be a consistent producer in his collegiate career. He had large stretches of games where he failed to produce and his motor switched on and off. Turner also had a massive spike in missed tackles in 2023, largely due to issues controlling his superb athleticism and over running ball carriers. Turner projects best as a 3-4 OLB or 4-3 Wide—9 in an even front. He has the athletic ability to drop in coverage and his physical tools will instantly rank in the upper half of NFL EDGEs. He lacks polish and consistency but in a weaker EDGE class he may find his athletic ability bumping him up. Turner will take sometime to evolved from a designated pass rusher into a true 3 down starter but with proper coaching his physical gifts give him some of the highest upside in the class.