In all likelihood, Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner will not still be on the draft board when the Detroit Lions make their first selection at No. 29 overall. But even if he was, SI.com’s All Lions’ Christian Booher argued the Lions should not consider Turner anyway.
Booher named the All-American Alabama edge rusher one of five players the Lions should avoid in the 2024 NFL draft.
“Turner took a big leap as a pass-rusher last season, as he finished the year with 55 pressures and 10 sacks,” Booher wrote. “He finished his three seasons at Alabama with 22.5 total sacks, which leads one to believe that he’ll be a solid player at the professional level.
“However, Turner did not show a ton of improvement in his work against the run. His Pro Football Focus run defense grade was 69.8, which was the lowest of his three-year career.
“The Lions need players who are solid against the run, and Turner’s performance didn’t necessarily show that. It’s a deep pass-rusher class early, so Detroit can be thorough and get their preferred fit.”
Any advice to avoid Turner in the upcoming draft will come as a surprise to most. The consensus draft rankings from ESPN, Pro Football Focus and Bleacher Report all have Turner ranked as one of the top two edge rushers in the 2024 draft class.
All three draft boards also have Turner rated as a top 16 prospect overall.
In addition to 10 sacks, Turner posted 14.5 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles and 1 pass defense last season. In three years at Alabama, he had 22.5 sacks and 32.5 tackles for loss over 38 games.
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