Actions speak louder than words, and the New Orleans Saints showed everyone what they think of Payton Turner when they picked former Notre Dame defensive end Isaiah Foskey at No. 40 overall in the 2023 NFL draft. Turner, the No. 28 pick in the 2021 draft, has only appeared in 13 of 34 games through his first two seasons — largely due to injuries.
But his first season started as a healthy scratch in the 2021 opener, and his second year with New Orleans ended the same way in the 2022 finale. He hasn’t made enough progress when healthy to earn those reps, and the Saints are already making moves to account for it. Now entering his third training camp in black and gold, Turner won’t receive any excuses from head coach Dennis Allen.
“Well, I just think we need to see him, number one, be available,” Allen said bluntly during his opening press conference at Saints training camp. “And number two, just continue to improve every day. I thought it was good to have him there for a full offseason (last year). And I thought he improved throughout OTA’s and training camp. I’m looking for more development out of him this year.”
Still, Allen isn’t negging Turner. He’s not going out of his way to be critical. At the end of the day it’s going to take encouragement to help Turner become the best version of himself, and that’s what Allen wants to help the young pro accomplish. He added: “I’m not focused on the end result, I’m focused on the process. I just want to see him be available and then continue to get better day in and day out.”
The Saints drafted Turner with intentions of him replacing either Marcus Davenport or Cameron Jordan someday, and now’s the time for him to step up. Davenport left in free agency. Jordan is currently negotiating an extension with the front office. Turner is facing competition from Foskey to push Carl Granderson for snaps at the right defensive end spot, and it’s on him to use what he’s learned, stave off the rookie, and show the Saints he still belongs in their long-term plans. He put in the work this offseason. Let’s see if it paid off.
