It’s not easy playing behind of one of Alabama’s best defensive players, but EDGE Dallas Turner took on the challenge and emerged out of Will Anderson’s shadow to show he’s one of the best defensive players in the upcoming NFL draft class.

Turner came to the Capstone one season after Anderson broke onto the scene. He served as Anderson’s “Robin” as the opposite edge rusher, going so far as to accumulate 8.5 sacks in his freshman year. His play took a slight step back as a sophomore but he got right back on track for his junior year hitting double-digit sacks in a season for the first time in his career.

He’s in a unique position as the NFL draft kicks off on Thursday night. Turner is considered one of the best defensive prospects in a class that is loaded with offensive talent. If he’s the first defender selected in Detroit on Thursday that will give the Crimson Tide back to back years with the first defender taken, following Will Anderson’s number three overall selection last season by the Houston Texans.

Player Info

Jersey: No. 15
Position: EDGE
DOB: February 2, 2003
Hometown: Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
High School: St. Thomas Aquinas, Bradenton Fla.
Recruiting Class: 2021
Recruiting Rating: Consensus 5-star, No. 9 overall, No. 1 at position, No. 2 in the state
Did he play in an All-Star Game? All-American Bowl

Accomplishments

Turner appeared in 42 games, making 27 starts for the Alabama defense over the last three seasons. He accumulated 120 tackles with 33.5 coming for a loss. He also tallied 23.5 sacks, forced two fumbles, recovered two more and scored one defensive touchdown during his tenure in Tuscaloosa. For his standout performances he was named SEC co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 while earning consensus All-American status and First Team All-SEC. His strong freshman season earned him Freshman All-America honors from 247Sports and the FWAA, while he was also selected to the All-SEC Freshman Team.

NFL Combine/Pro Day

Height: 6-3
Weight: 247 pounds
Hand: 9 7/8′
Arm: 34 3/8′
Wing:
40-yard dash: 4.46
10-yard split: 1.54
Vertical jump: 40.5″
Broad jump: 10’7″

What They’re Saying

“Long and athletic with the explosive traits needed to become an impactful NFL pass rusher. Turner’s first-step quickness and elite closing burst are important building blocks, but he still needs to work on his process from Point A to Point B. He hasn’t learned to create the space and angles needed to consistently attack the edges, but that should come with better hand development and a more diversified approach. A team would be wise to widen him out and allow him a better runway to ignite his burst and overwhelm tackles with his speed. He’s added 20 pounds since coming to Alabama, but he struggles at times to stack and shed run blockers or set a firm edge. Turner’s frame and game are much less developed than Will Anderson Jr.’s coming out of Alabama last year, so it could take time for him to make his mark as a starting 3-4 outside linebacker.”
-NFL Draft Analyst Lance Zierlein

Mock Draft

• Charles Davis, NFL.com: Picked No. 9 overall by the Chicago Bears
• Bucky Brooks, NFL.com: Picked No. 19 overall by the Los Angeles Rams
• Eric Edholm, NFL.com: Picked No. 15 overall by the Chicago Bears after trading down
• Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com: Ranked at the No. 13 overall player in the draft class
• Field Yates, ESPN: Picked No. 8 overall by the Atlanta Falcons