The edge rusher looks to finally be turning into the game changer Minnesota believed he could be.
Dallas Turner is making his presence felt in a big way for the Minnesota Vikings.
The third-year edge rusher has already established himself as one of the most disruptive players on the defense, and his production through the first two week’s of the 2026 season is starting to stand out across the NFL.
According to Next Gen Stats, Turner has recorded 20 quarterback pressures this season through two games. That number is impressive on its own, but it becomes even more eye-opening when compared to the pressure totals of entire NFL teams.
Turner currently has more quarterback pressures than seven teams around the league.
The Chicago Bears have recorded 19 quarterback pressures this season, one fewer than Turner. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers also have 19, while the Arizona Cardinals have 17.
The Miami Dolphins have 16 quarterback pressures, followed by the New York Giants with 12 and the Los Angeles Rams with just 10 (prior to Monday Night Football).
That means Turner, by himself, has generated more quarterback pressure than the entire defensive units of seven NFL teams in the category.
And Turner isn’t simply piling up pressures without finishing plays.
He already has three sacks on the season, including perhaps his biggest defensive play of the year.
Turner delivered a game-winning, walk-off sack to seal the Vikings’ victory, coming through when Minnesota needed him most. Rather than simply affecting the quarterback’s timing or forcing an incompletion, Turner finished the game himself.
Those types of plays are exactly what Minnesota envisioned when they selected Turner with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Turner entered the league with elite physical tools and the explosiveness needed to become a dangerous pass rusher. After two seasons of development, his third year is giving the Vikings an early look at what that potential can become when it translates into consistent production.
Turner is doing that at a remarkable rate.
For the Vikings, Turner’s emergence could become one of the most important developments of the season. Minnesota already has a defense capable of creating problems for opposing offenses, and a consistently disruptive Turner gives Brian Flores another player offenses have to account for on every passing down.
There is still plenty of football left to be played this season, but Turner’s early numbers are difficult to ignore.
Twenty quarterback pressures.
Three sacks.
And a game-winning sack already on his résumé.
If Turner continues producing at this pace, his third season could become the breakout campaign Vikings fans have been waiting to see.
