Tag: Kobie Turner

Only one Rams rookie made ESPN’s top 10 from 2023 season

The Rams had several standout rookies this season, but only one of them cracked ESPN’s top 10

The Los Angeles Rams don’t win 10 games and reach the playoffs this season if not for their rookie class. They entered the year needing to come away with at least one or two impactful rookies, and they landed four starters, as well as a punter.

Puka Nacua was one of the best receivers in the NFL and set several rookie records, including the most receiving yards and catches in a player’s first season. Kobie Turner and Byron Young ranked first and second among rookies in sacks, finishing with nine and eight, respectively. Steve Avila not only started all 17 games at left guard, but he didn’t miss a single snap.

ESPN ranked the top 10 rookies from the 2023 season, but only one Rams player made the list: Nacua. He was ranked second by ESPN, only behind C.J. Stroud – the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Nacua broke a 63-year record for receiving yards by a rookie, as he finished the regular season with 1,486 yards on his 105 receptions. That’s quite the value for a fifth-round pick who had struggled with injuries at times during his college career.

Nacua makes contested catches, and his routes are crisp. He is already one of the league’s best at the position, breaking tackles once he has the ball — 43% of his receiving yards came after first contact, a remarkable number given his high volume of work.

Turner and Young were both left off ESPN’s poll, finishing in the “just missed” category alongside Texans wideout Tank Dell. De’Von Achane, who only played 11 games, finished in the final spot at No. 10, just barely ahead of Turner and Young. Bijan Robinson and Jordan Addison tied for eighth, so they were ahead of Turner and Young, too.

Even with just one rookie on ESPN’s top-10 list, the Rams had one of the best draft classes of any team last year, if not the very best. They have several building blocks for the 2024 season, and that’s without even mentioning Nick Hampton, Davis Allen and Tre Tomlinson, who could all have bigger roles next season.

Dan Campbell knows what a ‘big challenge’ Aaron Donald and Kobie Turner present

With the Rams-Lions playoff game around the corner, Lions HC Dan Campbell identifies Aaron Donald and Kobie Turner as big challenges.

It’s no secret that the “secret” sauce behind the Rams’ defensive success has been their defensive line. Rebuilt through Les Snead’s ability to find gems in the draft, the two monsters in the middle will be a big challenge for the Lions offense, according to Dan Campbell.

When talking about three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald and Defense Rookie of the Year candidate Kobie Turner, the two men have combined for 17 sacks and 57 solo tackles in 2023.

Campbell had this to say about the Lions’ challenge of blocking the dynamic tandem on Sunday night.

“If you’re going to put your attention on 99, then we’ve got to win our one-on-one versus 91,” Campbell said. So, it’s challenging. (Turner’s) playing at a high level, he’s really coming on and he’s helping them because of that. And the minute you try to take care of him, then Aaron is by himself, and we know what he can do. There again though, I still like our matchup. I love our O-line and we’ve seen a lot of good defenses this year. We’ve faced a lot of good guys, lot of good fronts, and have accepted those challenges. So, this will be no different. This will be a big challenge, our guys accept it and it’s the strength of our team.”

It will be a challenge indeed but the Lions have one of the best offensive lines in football, captained by three-time Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow. With both Rams’ DC Raheem Morris and Lions’ OC Ben Johnson rising as head coaching candidates, the interior matchup could decide more than just this game.

Byron Young has ‘no doubt’ about who should win Defensive Rookie of the Year

In an exclusive interview with Rams Wire, Byron Young leaves no doubt about who should win Defensive Rookie of the Year

It’s been a special year for the Los Angeles Rams’ rookie class, led by Kobie Turner, Byron Young, Puka Nacua and Steve Avila. They’ve all been key contributors in Year 1, with Turner and Young being candidates to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, and Nacua in contention for the award on the offensive side of the ball.

Turner and Young have been the best rookie pass-rushing tandem in the NFL this season, recording nine and eight sacks, respectively. While both would be good choices for Defensive Rookie of the Year, Young has no doubt about who should win the award.

In an interview with Rams Wire on behalf of Dollar General, where he worked as an assistant manager before playing football at Tennessee, Young endorsed Turner by saying there’s “no doubt” he should win it over himself and every other candidate, including frontrunners, Jalen Carter and Will Anderson Jr.

Young also feels that he and Turner both got overlooked this year as third-round picks compared to first-rounders like Carter and Anderson.

“For sure. I think we’re definitely overlooked,” Young said. “Kobie Turner should definitely win Defensive Rookie of the Year. No doubt. But that’s how it goes sometimes, you know, popularity. That’s kind of how it is. Feel like we’re both being overlooked all season. Kobie Turner, hands down, should win it. The guy, every day coming into work. You see him during games. I’m talking about, he’s a closer. He closed the game out. That’s just what he does. Just watching him do it, I’m proud of him. Hopefully the right person gets the award: Kobie Turner. I’m praying they make the right decision.”

A lot of the attention has been on Turner in recent weeks, but Young has had an awesome rookie year himself. He has eight sacks, eight tackles for a loss, 19 QB hits and 61 total tackles – impressive numbers, particularly for a third-round rookie. He also won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Week for his performance against the Cardinals in Week 6 when he had a sack and forced fumble.

He may not win Defensive Rookie of the Year this season, but the Rams certainly landed a stud in Round 3 of the draft.

Rams’ Puka Nacua, Kobie Turner win NFL Rookie of the Month awards

Puka Nacua and Kobie Turner both won NFL Rookie of the Month awards for December/January, shining at the end of the regular season

Puka Nacua and Kobie Turner are both strong candidates for Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year, respectively, and their cases just got even stronger on Thursday.

The NFL announced that Nacua won Offensive Rookie of the Month for December/January, while Turner won Defensive Rookie of the Month for the same timeframe. It would’ve been impressive to have just one of them win this monthly award, but to have two win it in the same month is a testament to the talent the Rams found in the draft this year.

The Rams are the only team in the NFL this season to have players win Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Month in the same month.

In December and January, Nacua caught 32 passes for 562 yards and three touchdowns in six games, posting three 100-yard performances.

Turner put up great numbers in the last two months of the season, too. He had five sacks, 15 tackles and four tackles for a loss in the final six games of the year, helping elevate the performance of the entire defense.

This crazy stat shows Kobie Turner is more than just Aaron Donald’s sidekick

Kobie Turner isn’t just thriving because he plays alongside Aaron Donald. He beats double-teams more than just about any DT in the NFL.

Kobie Turner is well on his way to becoming a Pro Bowl defensive tackle someday, potentially as early as next season. The third-round rookie has already established himself as one of the most disruptive interior rushers in the NFL, recording 48 pressures in his first season as a pro – the second-most among all rookie defensive tackles.

Yes, he has the benefit of playing alongside Aaron Donald, which has tangible rewards, but he’s not simply a player who has success because Donald is his teammate. Turner wins on his own, too, even when double-teamed by opposing linemen.

J.B. Long uncovered a great stat that shows Turner is more than just Donald’s sidekick and a player who only wins because of his future Hall of Fame teammate. According to Next Gen Stats, Quinnen Williams of the Jets is the only defensive tackle who has more pressures when double-teamed than Turner. Williams has 24 and Turner has 22.

That’s right: Not even Donald has as many pressures versus double-teams as Turner.

There’s no question Donald draws extra attention his way and creates more one-on-one opportunities for his teammates, but that’s not the only reason Turner is excelling in Year 1. Turner is doing a lot on his own to beat blockers, both in the run game and as a pass rusher.

So for those discrediting Turner because of who he plays next to, think again. Turner deserves all the credit for a stellar rookie year.

No-brainer: Two Rams make PFF’s 2023 All-Rookie Team

Unsurprisingly, two Rams made PFF’s All-Rookie Team for 2023, but should there have been a third?

There’s a very strong case that no team got more out of its rookie class this year than the Los Angeles Rams, especially when you consider none of their picks were in the first round. Steve Avila, Byron Young, Kobie Turner and Puka Nacua have all had a positive impact, as has punter Ethan Evans.

Their two best rookies, Turner and Nacua, are both strong candidates for Rookie of the Year awards – Turner on defense and Nacua on the offensive side. That’s why it’s hardly surprising that both players made Pro Football Focus’ All-Rookie Team for 2023.

Nacua was the top selection at wide receiver, alongside Rashee Rice and Tank Dell.

Nacua established himself as the biggest steal in the 2023 class, breaking the rookie reception and receiving yardage records. Nakua’s 1,486 receiving yards are fourth-most in the NFL while his 85.1 PFF receiving grade is tied for 12th.

Nacua is one of six receivers who posted a 99.9 deep receiving grade this season, and he led that group with five contested catches on such targets.

At defensive tackle, Turner got the nod next to Jalen Carter, who’s the favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year. Turner led the Rams with nine sacks this season and had just one fewer pressure than Carter, who led all rookie defensive tackles with 49.

Turner quietly almost matched Carter’s production as Aaron Donald’s sidekick in Los Angeles. His 83.8 overall PFF grade ties him for ninth-best among qualified defensive tackles, and he finished the regular season with 48 pressures, one less than Carter.

Tuner isn’t just a pass-rusher, though. He’s one of just three qualified defensive rookies who posted 70-plus grades in the pass rush and run defense.

Avila is a third Rams player who had a strong case to make PFF’s All-Rookie Team. Peter Skoronski was selected at left guard but he barely had a higher PFF grade than Avila (61.6 vs. 61.1).

Avila played every offensive snap for the Rams this season, 1,147 in total, and he allowed only two sacks compared to Skoronski’s five. His pass-blocking grade was also much better, 67.2 vs. 63.5, and they were even in the penalty department (two each).

Even getting two rookies highlighted by PFF is a big accomplishment for the Rams, whose rookie class is going to shape the future of this team.

How Rams rookies Kobie Turner and Byron Young are crushing enemy quarterbacks

The Rams’ underrated defense is led by two rookies — edge-rusher Byron Young, and interior force Kobie Turner. Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar explain.

For a franchise that has leaned toward an “F Them Picks” philosophy in recent years, the Los Angeles Rams are certainly doing a fine job getting their draft selections on the field at a ridiculous rate of value in the 2023 season. Fifth-round receiver Puka Nacua is on pace to shatter several rookie records, and second-round guard Steve Avila has allowed just two sacks and 31 total pressure this season. Outside of Nacua and Avila, the Rams’ two most impressive rookies have been edge-rusher Byron Young from Tennessee, and defensive lineman Kobie Turner from Wake Forest.

Only Will Anderson Jr. of the Houston Texans and Tuli Tuipulotu of the Los Angeles Chargers have more total pressures among edge defenders than Young’s 46 (seven sacks, 13 quarterback hits, and 25 quarterback hurries), and no rookie interior defensive lineman has more pressures than Turner’s 45 (11 sacks, five quarterback hits, 29 quarterback hurries). Even Jalen Carter of the Philadelphia Eagles, thought by many to be this year’s “Annual Generational” defensive prospect, hasn’t disrupted quarterbacks at Turner’s rate.

Not bad for a couple of second-round under the radar guys.

“Didn’t know about the sack totals,” defensive coordinator Raheem Morris said on Thursday of his two first-year stars. “I just kind of go about the deal and they’ve really gotten better watching those guys go since they’ve been here. They came in young rookies. Kobie came in, super smart, super intelligent with an unbelievable motor. Byron just coming in really showing us stuff right off the bat with some explosiveness — being just a violent rusher, and he’s really developed some of his tools to get even better and now developing as a dropper as well, being at the outside backer position. They have been so much fun to work with and be around. I couldn’t be happier with the two young guys.”

The 6-foot-2, 250-pound Young often gets his sacks and disruptions in space and with second effort. Against the New York Giants last week, Young was faced with a six-OL set, and guard Mark Glowinski motioning to his side. Young outlasted Glowinnki to the edge, and took quarterback Tyrod Taylor down.

In Turner’s case, the 6-foot-3, 290-pound powerhouse gets it done in the pit with great leverage, nasty hand technique, and some terrifying tackle/tackle stunts with that Aaron Donald guy, who’s still pretty good. Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco found himself on the wrong end of that concept for a safety in Week 13. These are not the gentlemen you want to see coming at you from either side, and this will continue when the Rams hit the postseason.

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” the guys detail what Young and Turner bring to the table, and how they’re leading the charge for an underrated Rams defense. You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os” right here:

[anyclip-media thumbnail=”https://cdn5.anyclip.com/byBI1YwBYdwULzK8WvPD/1704387376688_248x140_thumbnail.jpg” playlistId=”undefined” content=”PHNjcmlwdCBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vcGxheWVyLnBvcHRvay5jb20vYW55Y2xpcC13aWRnZXQvbHJlLXdpZGdldC9wcm9kL3YxL3NyYy9scmUuanMiIGRhdGEtYXI9IjE2OjkiIGRhdGEtcGxpZD0ibWo0dWVzanJsZjN1ZXdsZW81a3V5NnNsaGJseG11Y2UiIHB1Ym5hbWU9IjE5OTgiIHdpZGdldG5hbWU9IjAwMTZNMDAwMDJVMEIxa1FBRl9NODMyNSI+Cjwvc2NyaXB0Pg==”][/anyclip-media]

You can also listen and subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

Kobie Turner feels he’s done enough to be in Defensive Rookie of the Year race

Kobie Turner thinks he’s done enough to be in the conversation for Defensive Rookie of the Year, but he also knows there’s work to be done

Kobie Turner was overlooked in the pre-draft process, as well as in the lead up to the 2023 season. He was a third-round pick, but no one expected him to have the season he’s put together thus far.

He has nine sacks and 57 tackles, both of which are more than Aaron Donald has this year. His nine sacks are tied for the Rams rookie record and the most by any rookie defensive tackle in the NFL.

Despite having the best numbers of any defensive rookie this year, Turner isn’t the favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year. He has the third-best odds and was only available to bet this week after getting inexplicably left out of the conversation.

Turner was asked about his candidacy for the top rookie award and he feels he’s done enough to be in the race, but there’s still work to be done.

“I definitely think that I have put in the work to put myself into the conversation, but that’s not for me to decide, of course,” Turner said, via ESPN. “All there is for me to do is just keep working, take it each day by day and just put out tape that’s going to make it not questionable that that’s where I should be. So I don’t have any say as far as I should be this, I should be that.

“What I know that I should be doing is getting right back to work, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do throughout this next week and now throughout the next week after that as well.”

Turner has one game left to prove he’s the best rookie defender in the NFL this season. He also has one game left to break Donald’s rookie sacks record, potentially reaching double-digits if he can add one full sack to his resume in the finale.

Turner will need a big game if he’s going to overtake Jalen Carter and Will Anderson Jr. for DROY, but he has his sights set on helping the Rams win.

The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell: Previewing Week 18’s biggest NFL matchups

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” the guys preview the final week of the regular season with tape and metrics.

It’s time for Week 18 of the 2023 NFL campaign — the final week of the regular season — and Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN’s NFL Matchup, and Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire and the USA Today Sports Media Group, are here to get you ready for the most important games, playoff scenarios, and interesting matchups:

Kansas City Chiefs-Los Angeles Chargers — Why the Chiefs wouldn’t even be a playoff team without Steve Spagnuolo, and how Kansas City’s defense got four sacks in five plays against the Bengals on Cincinnati’s final drive.

Philadelphia Eagles-New York Giants — The Eagles had best fix their leaky run defense before the playoffs, and the Giants could be a stern test in that regard.

Houston Texans- Indianapolis Colts — C.J. Stroud is back for the Texans, and he’ll face a Colts defense with a lot of underrated players. The winner takes the AFC South.

Los Angeles Rams-San Francisco 49ers — The 49ers have wrapped up the NFC’s one-seed, so they won’t play many of their starters, but it’s time to recognize a Rams defense defined by two rookies, and more underrated players.

Buffalo Bills-Miami Dolphins — Two up-and-down teams are fighting for control of the AFC East, and it could come down to which unit figures itself out: Buffalo’s offense, or Miami’s defense.

Chicago Bears-Green Bay Packers — The Bears won’t make the playoffs, but they have a fascinating decision to make about Justin Fields’ future. Meanwhile, Packers quarterback Jordan Love has been as good as anyone at his position in the second half of the season.

You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar” right here:

You can also listen and subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

Rams DL coach says Defensive Rookie of the Year is ‘so rigged for 1st-rounders’

Rams DL coach Eric Henderson is pounding the table for Kobie Turner to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, and he says “it’s not close”

No one is pounding the table for Kobie Turner to win Defensive Rookie of the Year more than Rams D-line coach Eric Henderson. He’s had a front-row seat for Turner’s development and flat-out dominance as a rookie this year, watching the stud defensive tackle rack up nine sacks (tied for the most ever by a rookie DT), eight tackles for a loss and 15 quarterback hits.

Despite Turner’s eye-popping numbers, he wasn’t even among the favorites to win Defensive Rookie of the Year until the books adjusted on Wednesday and listed him with the third-best odds behind Jalen Carter and Will Anderson Jr.

Henderson caught wind of the updated odds and he shared his unfiltered opinion, calling the award “so rigged for 1st rounders to win.” He says Turner is being penalized for being drafted in the third round and “can’t stand it.”

Peter Schrager of NFL Network is aboard the “Turner for Defensive Rookie of the Year” train, too. Henderson replied to Schrager’s argument in favor of Turner winning the award, and he said again, “it’s not close.”

Add Andrew Whitworth to Turner’s corner, as well. He wants everyone to show Turner some respect during this remarkable season.

Henderson replied to Whitworth’s tweet and said Turner is “better than the majority of the league for an interior guy, let alone this year’s rookie group.

The guy Turner tied for the most sacks in a season by a rookie defensive tackle, Aaron Donald, also wants to see The Conductor win Defensive Rookie of the Year.

If Turner doesn’t win Defensive Rookie of the Year, Henderson might run on stage at the NFL Honors show in February and let everyone know who should’ve taken home the hardware.