How many New Orleans Saints players have more on the line in 2023 than Payton Turner? The team’s 2021 first-round draft pick is rapidly approaching the dreaded “bust” label in his third year in the NFL, having appeared in just 13 games over his first two seasons. Some of that is due to injuries — he’s been sidelined by elbow, calf, shoulder, chest and ankle injuries — and there’s a bit of bad luck involved, with last year’s ankle injury being completely out of his control.
But at the end of the day, Turner hasn’t shown his coaches or his team’s fans enough to say he’s special. His rookie year began as a healthy scratch because he didn’t offer more than the veterans ahead of him. His second season ended, again, as a healthy inactive because other players could be trusted to do more on the field. He’s only produced three sacks and eight tackles for loss in those 13 games he’s played, without forcing a single turnover.
The Saints knew Turner would face a learning curve in the NFL, but this slow development can’t be what they expected. They picked him at the start of a run on pass rushers at No. 28 in the first round back in 2021, and all three of the players selected right after him have been more productive:
- No. 30: Gregory Rousseau, Buffalo Bills (12 sacks and 18 tackles for loss, with 2 fumbles in 30 games)
- No. 31: Odafe Oweh, Penn State (8 sacks and 12 tackles for loss, with 4 fumbles in 32 games)
- No. 32: Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8 sacks and 11 tackles for loss in 34 games)
So there’s quite a bit of ground for Turner to make up in 2023. This time next year the Saints will be debating whether to exercise his fifth-year option for 2025, which should be valued at more than $12 million. With Marcus Davenport and Tanoh Kpassagnon both set to test free agency and Cameron Jordan turning 34 this summer, Turner should have ample opportunities to carve out a role for himself in the rotation at defensive end. You just have to wonder if it ends up being too little, too late after a rough start to his pro career.