Dallas Turner is off the board! The standout defender from Alabama was selected No. 17 in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings traded up from No. 23 overall with the Jacksonville Jaguars in order to select Turner, who was widely-regarded as one of the top defensive players in this draft.

Coming out of South Florida powerhouse program St. Thomas Aquinas, Turner was a 5-star recruit with 32 scholarship offers. Turner lived up to the hype and then some in three seasons at Alabama.

Turner made an immediate impact in Tuscaloosa. As a true freshman, Turner played in all 15 games, making 3 starts. He logged 30 tackles, including 10 for loss with 8.5 sacks, earning All-SEC Freshman Team recognition from the conference coaches and Freshman All-America honors from the FWAA and 247Sports.

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As a sophomore, Turner became a regular starter, playing in all 13 games. He increased his total tackles to 37, but saw his TFLs dip to 8 with 4 sacks. His sophomore season was still good enough to get him on numerous pre-season All-American lists for 2023, which turned out to be a “contract year.”

Turner turned in a stellar junior season to help Alabama capture an SEC championship in 2023. A 14-game starter, Turner recorded the best production of his career with 53 total tackles. His 14.5 TFLs led the Bama defense. Turner’s 10 sacks tied for the SEC lead and ranked No. 8 nationally. He led the Crimson Tide with 13 QB hurries on the season.

With those numbers comes national recognition. Turner is a consensus All-American after being named first-team by the AFCA, Associated Press, FWAA and Sporting News. Turner was also named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and recognized by the AP and conference coaches as first-team All-SEC.