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Much of the focus on the 2024 NFL Draft, particularly at the top, has been on the offensive playmakers. Debates have raged over which quarterback should follow Caleb Williams, whether Marvin Harrison Jr. has held onto his spot as the top wide receiver on the board, and when the run on offensive tackles will begin.

Lost in all that has been Dallas Turner’s solidified spot as the top defensive player in the draft. There won’t be many — if any — mock drafts that feature any defensive players going ahead of the Alabama EDGE.

What makes Turner stand out as the best defensive player in the 2024 NFL Draft? Here’s what you need to know.

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Dallas Turner scouting report

Turner stands 6-3, 247 pounds based on his NFL Combine measurements. That gives him nearly the exact measurements as his teammate from last year who went third overall, EDGE Will Anderson, who came into the draft at 6-3, 253 pounds. That is described by RAS Football as “poor” size.

However, RAS Football still grades him at 8.86 overall on a scale of 0 to 10. That’s because of everything else. He ran a 4.46 40 with a 2.65 20 split and 1.61 10 split. He also had a 40.5 vertical and a 10-foot, 7-inch broad jump. For those performances, he graded as “elite” under RAS Football’s evaluation.

Anderson ran a faster 40 than his former teammate (4.6 40 with 2.64 20 and 1.61 10 splits), but he did not participate in the explosive or agility tests.

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Evaluators don’t necessarily believe Turner and Anderson are all that similar. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah described the two as “not similar at all,” according to Tuscaloosanews.com.

“Dallas has a little more juice in terms of his get-off and burst. It’s pretty elite. He’s a better bender. He’s a more fluid and loose athlete than Will,” Jeremiah said. “Will, he’s got a lot more horsepower, and not just with the bull rush. Playing through blocks, he’s a little more [able to] knock [blockers] back at the point of attack against the run, whereas Turner more uses his length to set the edge.”

Instead, a better comparison, NFL’s Lance Zierlein believes, is Giants EDGE Brian Burns.

Burns is not quite a perfect comparison by physicality, standing exactly two inches taller than Turner at 6-5, though the weight is comparable at 249. Burns ran a 4.53 40 with 2.62 20 and 1.54 10 splits, and he posted a 36-inch vertical and 10-foot, 9-inch broad jump.

“He reminded me of Brian Burns,” Zierlien said. “He was not the biggest pass rusher at Florida State, but Dallas Turner has good size and is continuing to get bigger. Both of these guys can get off the mark very quickly and get around the corner very easily. Any slow-footed tackle is going to be in a lot of trouble. With Dallas Turner, it is making sure he gets the leverage on that outside shoulder, and it is going to be a wrap. He will be able to flatten and get to the quarterback.”

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Dallas Turner stats

Year G Tackles (Solo) Tackles (Assisted) Total tackles Tackles for loss Sacks Fumbles returned Fumbles forced
2021 11 14 16 30 10 8.5 1 0
2022 13 16 21 37 8 4 1 0
2023 14 28 25 53 14.5 10 0 2
Career 38 58 62 120 32.5 22.5 2 2

Dallas Turner mock draft

There aren’t many mock drafts that have Turner going anywhere except No. 8 to the Falcons. Here’s a look at where he’s projected in the latest mocks:

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