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Is Turner an option next to Dexter Lawrence?
The New York Giants suffered a huge blow when star defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence’s 2024 season was ended early by an elbow injury.
Their no-name defensive line depth put forth an admirable effort and the team actually improved their run defense without their best player. But the loss of Lawrence also served to highlight the thin depth chart behind him. The defensive line is intended to be the strength of the Giants’ defense, and most believe that they need to reinforce that strength.
Texas A&M’s Shemar Turner is getting lost a bit in the shuffle of a deep and talented defensive tackle class. But could he be the under-the-radar complement to Dexter Lawrence that the Giants need?
Prospect: Shemar Turner (5)
Games Watched: vs. Notre Dame (2024), vs. Missouri (2024), vs. LSU (2024), vs. Texas (2024)
Red Flags: Shin and torn Labrum (suffered in 2023, repaired early 2024)
Height: 6-foot-4 (estimated)
Weight: 300 pounds (estimated)
Best traits
Shemar Turner is a long, athletic, and powerful defensive lineman who played out of multiple alignments for Texas A&M. He has good size for a one-gap defender at 6-foot-4, 300 pounds (estimated), and carries his weight well. He’s relatively lean for a defensive tackle and maintains an athletic physique despite gaining weight over the last couple seasons.
Turner played all over the Aggie’s defensive line, from edge defender to nose tackle, though he most often lined up as a B-gap defender as a senior. That alignment works well with Turner’s build and athleticism, allowing him to use his length and burst to attack blockers one-on-one and penetrate into the backfield.
He generally keys the snap well and is among the first defenders moving at the start of the play. Turner has a good burst and doesn’t waste energy with his get-off, generally transferring it directly into the blocker. He’s primarily a power player, using his explosiveness and flexibility to get his hands on blockers first and win the leverage battle soonest. He uses a bull rush as his go-to, with a push-pull move as his primary counter when blockers anchor against his initial power. His strength and burst allow him to push the pocket, while his length and good hand placement allow him to discard blockers to attack into the backfield.
Turner’s play strength and hand usage also make him an effective run defender. He does a very good job of controlling individual blockers and is able to use his agility and length to occupy (if not control) multiple blockers. His overall athleticism allows him to efficiently navigate the trash at the line of scrimmage and he has remarkable short-area quickness to make plays on ball carriers who enter his vicinity. Turner is also dogged in pursuit, playing with a wide-open motor and he is a very secure tackler. He always wraps up the ball carrier and reliably gets...
