Analyst suggests NFC South landing spot fans should be "happy" about for Alabama's Dallas Turner
FOX Sports analyst David Helman recently said in an episode of The NFL on FOX Podcast that Alabama linebacker Dallas Turner should be the best home fit for the Atlanta Falcons, mentioning the NFC South Team ahead of the NFL Draft.
Helman added that Turner should be the kind of guy that the Falcons take, considering they`ve been missing out on a player like him for the past 15 years or so.
He said:
"I will stand on the table for Dallas Turner as the pick at eight to the Atlanta Falcons. And I just wanna say this is not like a consolation prize. Dallas Turner has 10 sacks for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Like, whatever time it took him to break out was because he was playing behind guys like Will Anderson during his Alabama career."
Helman continued:
"This is a player that people should be excited about. And if you`re the Atlanta Falcons and haven`t had a premiere edge rusher for most of the last 15 years, you should be excited about the potential to draft him."
One could say that Dallas Turner is not exactly a name that stands out among the entrants to the 2024 NFL Draft. However, while he`s flown relatively under the radar, many pundits believe he`ll be the first defensive player to be picked in the draft; it`s just a question of how early (via Yahoo Sports).
The 6' 4", 242 lb junior from Fort Lauderdale, FL had a career-best 53 total tackles in the 2023 season. 28 of these were solo, while 25 were assist tackles. His 10 sacks, as previously mentioned, was also a career-best for him during the year. Either way, history has shown that defenders tend to not get picked within the top 12, but things are always up in the air.
Who will select Dallas Turner in the NFL Draft?
Dallas Turner`s draft stock seems to be moving a lot. Multiple mock drafts put him at different positions up or down the line. For one, ESPN`s mock draft believes the former Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker could go as high as the 12th overall pick to the Denver Broncos. Another mock draft from PFF has him sliding down to number 16, going to the Seattle Seahawks.
Whatever happens, it still seems that NFL teams put far more emphasis on selecting the best offensive players early on. However, Turner`s potential to make an immediate impact, which isn`t always guaranteed for QBs or a lot of other positions, should be his ace in the hole.