Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort dances after Dallas Turner 40-yard dash

The Cardinals currently hold the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, and ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. projected them to take former Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. with that selection in his Mock Draft 2.0. However, Yahoo! Sports’ Charles Robinson indicated Turner could be in play for the Cardinals if they decide to go with an EDGE rusher with that pick or, potentially, trade back.

To put Turner’s performance in perspective, NFL Network simulcast his run with two other former Alabama stars: Derrick Henry and Jalen Hurts.

Henry ran a 4.54 40-yard dash at the 2016 NFL Combine while Hurts clocked in at 4.59 four years later in 2020. Turner beat them both, showing just how explosive he can be.

Although he ran with the linebackers, Turner was known for his ability to get to the passer in Tuscaloosa. This past season, he finished with 14.5 tackles for loss and 10.0 sacks to cap off an impressive career under Nick Saban’s watchful eye, and he’s viewed as a first round-caliber talent in the draft.

In his Mock Draft 2.0, Kiper projected the Atlanta Falcons to select Turner with the No. 8 overall pick. His reasoning was simple. The Falcons have plenty of playmakers on offense, but with new coach Raheem Morris taking over, it’s time to bolster the pass rush.

“For the Atlanta Falcons, you think Kyle Pitts and you think about Drake London. You think about Bijan Robinson . But I would go defense,” Kiper said on ESPN2 on Wednesday. “You need a pass rusher desperately. Dallas Turner emerged this year we said what’s gonna happen? Well, Will Anderson Jr. moves on [from Alabama], but will Turner be the guy who really takes his game to another level? We saw it early on at Alabama. He fell back a little and 2022 and now he put it all together this past year with double digit sacks.

“I love the way he can beat you with quickness. He can beat you with speed and he could also be relentless. I love the way he chases down the quarterback. He’s got that speed to get a quarterback and he will get you the ability to get covered sacks as well as getting that natural explosion that you looked for in a complete pass rusher off the edge.”