Re: Saints draft Houston DE Payton Turner with first-round pick
 

PAYTON TURNER HOUSTON DE
CLASS Senior

6' 5"
270 lbs
ARMS 35"
HANDS 10 1/4"

Prospect Grade
6.31: WILL BE STARTER WITHIN FIRST TWO SEASONS

The Houston product played in 11 games as a reserve in 2017 (14 tackles, two for loss, with one sack, one interception) despite missing most of his senior year at Westside High School due to a knee injury. Turner did start the first 11 games of the 2018 season before suffering a foot injury, collecting more stops (42) but fewer behind the line of scrimmage42 stops (4.5 for loss) while breaking up four passes and blocking a punt. He didn't make an all-conference team in 2019 but his size and production (34 tackles, eight for loss, with four sacks, four pass breakups in 12 starts) caught the eyes of NFL scouts. American Athletic Conference coaches rectified the situation in 2020, voting him second-team all-conference after he led the Cougars with 10.5 tackles for loss and five sacks in five games (four starts, 25 total stops). He missed two games, however, with hand and knee injuries and tested positive for COVID-19 in November. Turner accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl. -- by Chad Reuter

Analysis
By Lance Zierlein NFL Analyst
Draft Projection Round 2
NFL Comparison Preston Smith

Overview

Three-year starter who has shown a continued level of positional growth that requires the attention of NFL evaluators. Turner is a big, long 4-3 defense end with natural play strength and a surprising level of bend and agility for his size. His technique and footwork are a little spotty, though. He plays with a narrow base and tall pad level, which will always be something he has to work around. He's growing into his frame and his talent. The tape shows a player who is beginning to understand his own strength and athletic potential. His pass rush plan is limited, but he has a go-to move that opens the door to quarterbacks. Once he gets an advantage, he is an absolute menace to recover against for blockers. His size and play traits will have both odd- and even-front defenses interested in him as a talented three-down starter who is still on the way up.

Strengths
Overwhelming size and length for a 4-3 end.
Plenty of upside left for continued development.
Impressive reaction time and athleticism.
Twitchy get-off for his size.
Generates explosion into contact.
Good strain to dislodge from blocks and ruin sustains.
Ridiculous agility expands tackle radius and restricts the run.
Attacks rush arc with forward lean and quality bend around the corner.
Stab-and-swipe is his go-to rush move.
Loose hips help him find half-man angles.
Sudden inside jump-cut to hit the B-gap running.
Power and grit to push pocket with his bull rush.
Challenging to escape from his burst/length once he's in the pocket.

Weaknesses
Needs to shoot hands a little bit earlier.
Plays upright and with a narrow base.
Balance through contact will be an issue due to high center of gravity.
Can be upended by strong angle blocks.
Rush plan is underdeveloped and can stall out early at times.
Needs better instincts as a counter rusher.
Delayed in finding workable rush counters.
Power can stall his rush.
Has knee and foot injuries in his background.

Sources Tell Us

"I wanted to keep him a secret after I saw him last year and that didn't happen. He's going to become a force." -- Scouting director for AFC team

Re: Saints draft Houston DE Payton Turner with first-round pick
 

I feel like we just drafted Davenport all over again

Re: Saints draft Houston DE Payton Turner with first-round pick
 

Re: Saints draft Houston DE Payton Turner with first-round pick
 

It's not the player I hate, it's the fact this has added depth to a position when you have glaring needs at others.

Yeah they can go and get Sherman or Heywood in FA. But they are already stuck paying for draft picks this year. And as it stands(not Inc draft class) have 32 players on the roster next year and 3ml in cap space. So once again players are going to be doing deals and pushing money down the road. I guess if this works out then they'll look to cutting cam, Terron Armsteadas it opens loads of space. Oh and Lattimore, Ramczyk and Williams are all Free Agents. And still paying Drew 11ml to do coms for a second year.

Ring chasing and the pandemic have combined tbite them in the ass. Some of these high paid draft picks should have been traded for cap space but they've give them contracts that make them near untradeable

Re: Saints draft Houston DE Payton Turner with first-round pick
 

Re: Saints draft Houston DE Payton Turner with first-round pick
 

Re: Saints draft Houston DE Payton Turner with first-round pick
 

We would have been better off with the Packers CB.
According to one NFL.Com analyst Chad Reuter the only team that got a grade worse than the Saints (C) is Houston (D) who didn’t even have a pick because of the Tunsil trade.
I get this move may be part of a rebuild and an effort to get Cams replacement in the building now if we decide to move on next year. I think we’ve seen the same along the offensive line, I think Armstead is gone too.
If the Saints really liked him that much I would have rather seen them trade up in the second to get him. If you’re gonna reach don’t do it with your first.

Re: Saints draft Houston DE Payton Turner with first-round pick
 

I'm not going to complain about not trading back. Who knows if you get a partner. Anything less than a 3rd or very high 4th isn't worth losing 5th round option for.

I should say I may not like what they've done at all, but it's not on this kid and I'll obviously be pulling for him to be a beast. I just think this team is in a massive hole with lots of holes and little cap, assets to gain them with.

Re: Saints draft Houston DE Payton Turner with first-round pick
 

I have no issue with the Saints selling their soul to get another ring. We fell short but in the end we had 4 years of really good football and a shot at the title each of those years. Now it’s time to take our lumps.

Re: Saints draft Houston DE Payton Turner with first-round pick
 

No I don't blame them for trying.
The issue is more the mess they have left themselves in for a couple of years by signing players to the deals they have and pushing all that money forward. They players are now not assets you can move for future drafts picks and cap spaces.

Right now they will likely go into next year with no cap space, 32 players on the roster and Ramczyk, Lattimore, Winston, Williams all hitting FA. And

Thomas and Cam having cap hits over 20ml
Brees,Kamara,Jenkins,Peat,Onyemata, Davis, Armstead all between 10-15ml each. The only option is to roll it over again. It's OK saying a new TV deal will be in place soon but all contracts will rise with it.

The lack of wiggle room being left cost them the guts of the roster with Jack rabbit and Brown especially