Detroit Lions take risk-reward swing on former first-round defensive end Turner
Allen Park — Two days after signing a projected starting edge defender to plug in opposite Aidan Hutchinson, the Detroit Lions have bolstered their depth at the position, signing former first-round pick Payton Turner on Friday.
After four seasons at the University of Houston, Turner was the fourth edge off the board in the 2021 NFL Draft, behind only Micah Parsons, Jaelan Phillips and Kwity Paye.
However, Turner’s professional career has been marred by injury. As a rookie in 2021, he appeared in just five games due to calf and shoulder injuries. The following season, it was chest and ankle issues that limited him to eight appearances and 171 snaps. And in 2023, he was sidelined all but the season opener and finale due to turf toe.
Turner rebounded to appear in 16 games in his fourth and final season with the New Orleans Saints. Still, despite loggin a career-high 335 defensive snaps, the production was modest. He finished with 21 tackles, 2.0 sacks and 13 quarterback pressures.
The Saints predictably declined his fifth-year option and Turner joined the Dallas Cowboys on a one-year, $2.5 million prove-it deal last offseason. However, the injury bug bit again. He suffered broken ribs during the preseason, costing him the entire campaign.
Turner, 27, will look to get his career on track with the Lions. Presumably on a low-cost contract, the potential is worth the risk. Turner offers prototypical size at 6-foot-6, 268 pounds, outstanding length (35 3/8-inch arms) and high-end athleticism, posting elite metrics in the leaping and change-of-direction drills ahead of the 2021 draft.
In college, Turner showed steady improvement throughout his time at Houston. During his final season, the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, he earned second-team all-conference honors with 25 tackles (10.5 for a loss), 5.0 sacks, a forced fumble and 11 quarterback pressures in just five games.
Turner joins a room led by Hutchinson and the recently signed DJ Wonnum. The only other edge defender on the roster is 2025 sixth-round draft pick Ahmed Hassanein.