Rookies usually have a rough start to their careers in training camp as the veterans welcome them to the NFL. Dallas Turner welcomes the challenge and has impressed his veteran teammates, specifically Christian Darrisaw.
In a piece written by Mark Craig of the Star Tribune, Darrisaw spoke about his early impressions of the 2024 first-round draft pick.
“Ah, man, he’ll be all right, he’s learning. He’s got the talent. Anything I can do to help.”
The mentorship is something that the team seems to have envisioned by the coaching staff and front office when they made the selection. With Darrisaw getting a contract extension this offseason, he will be around for the duration of Turner’s rookie deal and that excites coach Kevin O’Connell.
“As I talked about with CD in the hours after CD’s extension, it’s like, ‘Hey man, not only can you elevate our entire offensive group, how cool is it going to be as you watch Dallas Turner one-on-one against you in practice grow to be a guy who pushes you to be better?’ ”
Several teams have shown this blueprint to work well. Some examples are the Cleveland Browns with Myles Garrett and Jedrick Wills, the Pittsburgh Steelers with T.J. Watt and Broderick Jones, and many more.
The Vikings have started unveiling their plan through their selections and personnel decisions. It may take some time but the plan is one that leads to sustained success in most cases.