Saints draft Houston DE Payton Turner with first-round pick
 

The New Orleans Saints stood firm with the No. 28 pick Thursday in the NFL draft, selecting Houston defensive end Payton Turner.

Turner, a 6-foot-5, 270-pound edge rusher, played four seasons for the Cougars, racking up 115 tackles, 25 tackles for loss and 10 sacks over 40 starts. This past season, he played in five games and tallied 10½ tackles for loss with five sacks.

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

Is Davenport on the outs? His fifth year option was exercised. His last year as a Saint with this Saints pick?

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
 

I’m pretty plugged in and I never even scouted this dude.

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

Cam is older, Davenport has yet to stay healthy & Trey H is gone and we needed another pass rusher off the edge.

Welcome to New Orleans Payton Turner.

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
 

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

35 on his wonderlic test.

Intelligent and coachable.

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

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

That moment when the wife sends you to the store for dog food and a gallon of milk and you come home with scratch tickets. Basically we're taking a < 1% chance this guy is Von Miller.

Expect more contrarian picks for the rest of the draft. It's just what we do. Occasionally it pays off with a Kamara story.

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

In all honesty, I'm not that impressed with this pick.

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

Can't wait for Payton to package the 2nd and comp 3rd to move up for a tackle tonight

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

Good/great pass rushers get a premium on the open FA market, so potentially drafting one in the 1st round gives the team an added year to the player's rookie contract.

I'm not saying that in itself makes the pick a good one, but something to consider...

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

I'm loving this pick! You can't have enough players in the trenches.

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

I’m still baffled but he’s a Saint now so I’m rooting hard for the kid.

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

It just goes to show that they have far more information than any of us fans. It sounds like he was moving up draft boards all across the league and most of y'all never knew he even existed. I certainly didn't and really didn't know of half the players taken thus far.

Trust in Jeff Ireland.

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

I tried hard to stay awake and wait for the pick only to fall asleep and wake up confused. I did think it was a good possibility we'd do something "different" and take a Bateman or Toney. Obviously Toney went well before that and Bateman went a few picks before. Go figure it was someone we all knew almost nothing about.

Well, welcome to the team young man. I find his wing span and athleticism very intriguing. I hope we found ourselves a pass rushing gem.

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

Every year I think I finally have it all figured out and every year I’m reminded that I know nothing lol.

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

ESPN analyst Adam Schefter reports that some NFL executives believe Houston DL Payton Turner could go in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Turner weighed in at 6-foot-6, 268 pounds with absurdly long 35 3/8" arms and did not run the 40-yard dash at his pro day workout. His 3-cone drill of 6.70 seconds ranked in the 99th percentile of historical NFL defensive ends. The Cougars' standout DE ran a 4.25 short shuttle (84th percentile), banged out 23 bench reps and posted a 36" vertical jump (76th), all exceptional marks. Turner earned a superb 90.0 pass rush grade in 2020 according to PFF, and it's easy to see why he was able to dominate so thoroughly in the AAC after seeing these stellar testing marks, posting 10.5 TFL and five sacks in just five games this year. Schefter cites Turner's character, Medicals and length as being some of the traits that have caught the eye of NFL decision makers. He is shaping up to be a second-round mock that could get pushed into the first if things break right.

SOURCE: Adam Schefter on Twitter
Apr 29, 2021, 4:47 PM ET


That was time stamped right before the draft. I guess it wasn't completely out of nowhere.

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

A 6.70 3-cone time for a DE is insane.

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

The CB’s I think merited 1st round consideration were gone yet 28th pick and from story line the Saints tried to move up but were locked out. Some of the LB’ers they were looking at are still there in the second round. I follow Saints as close as anybody and I have to agree with AG all the sideline GM’s know is what PR colllegiate and statistics that form their opinions which interesting conversation but in the end you might not like the choices and moves but I trust Sean Mickey and Jeff .... I like this pick ... never heard of him just goes too show.

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

Honestly surprised we didn’t trade up for a needed position. I don’t like the pick but they obviously went with the bpa on their board. I know we are “just fans” but everyone sees the glaring needs we have. I just hope they fill these needs Friday. Hopefully everyone is wrong

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

"If you listen to the fans, you'll be sitting up there with them." BUDDY RYAN

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

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

It takes two to Tango. You can't trade up if no one is willing to trade down. If you draft strictly for need you will likely pass up better talent.

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

I would have traded up and gone CB - didn't work out. Not going to complain about going with DE tho. Games are still won (and lost) up front.

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

After sleeping on things...it’s still a head scratcher. I see the arguments and I’m not as “upset” as I was last night. I could, and hopefully am, be shown wrong, but the players “value” was not near the 28th pick he was selected at. Even if he ends up being defensive rookie of the year, the question will always exist of the likelihood of him have been there around pick number 60 as most had him slated and who they did not take.

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

What gives you the idea that he would still be there at 60 or that he wasn't valued at 28? Something you read from others that really don't know either? These people that come up with these ranking do not have a whole staff that spends hundreds of hours researching these players. Nor do they have the opportunity to interview these players multiple times. According to Turner himself his agent told him to expect to be picked between 20 and 40 and that's just right where he went.

This is why I have always thought this pick prognostication business is meaningless. None of them have the access or the resources to fully know what they are doing and it simply results in the general public buying into their nonsense.

The only way to know a player's true draft value is to wait until he is drafted.

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

Hey now, I'm still one of the best NFL/CBS/ESPN NETWORK internet couch coaching GM's around :p