Saints DE Payton Turner Primed for a Breakout Campaign

SmashMouth · 06-08-2022, 01:34 PM

In the 2021 NFL Draft, University of Houston defensive lineman Payton Turner was a surprise first-round selection by the New Orleans Saints with the 28th overall pick.

Turner's 8.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss over his final two collegiate seasons put him on the radar of scouts. His performance in postseason workouts then vaulted him into the first round.

Turner had a rough rookie season. He missed most of training camp and the regular season opener with calf and elbow injuries. He’d finally make his NFL debut in Week 2 at Carolina. Despite the lack of preseason reps, he immediately showed what made him a high draft choice.

In just 31 snaps against the Panthers, Turner recorded a sack, 3 tackles for loss, and 5 QB pressures. After that strong debut, he played solid football over the next few weeks as a member of a deep edge rotation. Unfortunately, Turner sustained a shoulder injury during a Week 9 loss to Atlanta. The injury would sideline him for the rest of the year, limiting his rookie campaign to just five games.

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06-08-2022, 01:34 PM	#1
SmashMouth I donated, did you? Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Mandeville, LA Posts: 37,139 Blog Entries: 29	Saints DE Payton Turner Primed for a Breakout Campaign In the 2021 NFL Draft, University of Houston defensive lineman Payton Turner was a surprise first-round selection by the New Orleans Saints with the 28th overall pick. Turner's 8.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss over his final two collegiate seasons put him on the radar of scouts. His performance in postseason workouts then vaulted him into the first round. Turner had a rough rookie season. He missed most of training camp and the regular season opener with calf and elbow injuries. He’d finally make his NFL debut in Week 2 at Carolina. Despite the lack of preseason reps, he immediately showed what made him a high draft choice. In just 31 snaps against the Panthers, Turner recorded a sack, 3 tackles for loss, and 5 QB pressures. After that strong debut, he played solid football over the next few weeks as a member of a deep edge rotation. Unfortunately, Turner sustained a shoulder injury during a Week 9 loss to Atlanta. The injury would sideline him for the rest of the year, limiting his rookie campaign to just five games. more here iceshack149 likes this.