Payton

Turner

It’s not a surprise for a former No. 28 overall pick who has been limited by injury to just 15 games in three years. That includes two in 2023 as he battled a toe issue. Already 25, Turner isn’t particularly young for a player entering the final season of his rookie deal. Turner hasn’t registered a sack since 2022, and has only three for his career.

Turner exited early in the first quarter of Sunday’s contest and did not return to the field. The former first-round pick has battled a number of injuries since entering the league in 2021, appearing in just 14 of a possible 35 games over that span. Turner will undoubtedly miss some time as he recovers from his surgery, but how much time he’ll miss is yet to be determined.

He didn’t practice all week after leaving Week 11’s game via a cart, and while Dennis Allen called him “day-to-day, week-to-week” with a low ankle sprain, this sure looks to be trending more towards week-to-week. Thankfully the Saints won’t have to rely on him quite as much in Week 12 with potential returns for Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport.

He had to be carted off after stuffing Kyren Williams on a fourth-and-1 go. New Orleans will be down its best three EDGE players with Turner joining Marcus Davenport and Cameron Jordan on the sideline.

“It’s been a long road to recovery,” Turner tweeted Wednesday. “I had a pretty major shoulder surgery last November and didn’t have quite the rookie year I wanted but shoutout to everybody that’s stayed down with me and helped me get to this point, blessed to say I’ve been CLEARED.” Turner was picked No. 28 overall last spring out of Houston but played in just five games as a rookie before his season ended in Week 9. Getting Turner back gives the Saints added depth off the edge alongside Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport, who is recovering from a partial finger amputation.

The Saints also announced the signings of the rest of their draft class. Turner moved to the outside of the defensive line in his junior season at Houston so it may take him some time to continue adjusting as he hits the pro level. However, he has all of the physical tools necessary to exceed with the Saints and should be an impactful player from Week 1. To create the necessary cap space, New Orleans restructured Marshon Lattimore’s contract. Lattimore was on the fifth-year option of his rookie deal and is currently in extension talks with the team.

Turner (6’5/270) was courted by several Power Five programs, but an ACL tear as a senior scared off many of his potential destinations and knocked him down to two-star status. Fortunately for the Houston native, the Cougars’ commitment never wavered. Turner rewarded their loyalty with a superb 2020, registering 25 tackles, 10.5 TFL and 5.0 sacks in just four full games due to COVID and knee issues in an already shortened season. He was pegged as a three-tech who flexed outside on occasion during his first two years on campus until current HC Dana Holgerson moved him to the edge. It was prescient, as Turner flourished in his new role, contouring his super-sized frame to tailor his physique to better handle the extra quickness he will need now that he’s bouncing outside. He developed an array of pass rush moves and counters which were enhanced by his elongated 35-inch arms with a 84-inch wingspan. He’s relentless in pursuit and has enough speed to run down ball carriers. Still relatively new to the position, Turner’s technique is unrefined and plays with a high pad level which can allow savvy tackles to get into his pads. A turf toe injury kept him from running the 40-yard dash and broad jump, but his RAS for the drills he did perform was a 9.74 which ranks as the fourth highest mark in the edge class. Turner bears a strong resemblance to Deatrich Wise Jr.