Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores will work with first-round draft pick Dallas Turner for the first time on Friday, as the Vikings begin a three-day rookie minicamp.
During a video interview on the NFL team’s official website, Flores was asked if Turner reminded him of any of the players he had coached.
“The name that comes to mind, and he was another Alabama player, is Dont’a Hightower,” said Flores. “Big, swift, physical, with tremendous characteristics and intangibles, and strong leadership. This is the name that springs to mind. I’d say he’s slightly faster than Hightower.”
A consensus All-American for the Crimson Tide 12 years before Turner earned that honor in 2023, Hightower spent his entire career with New England after joining the Patriots as a first-round linebacker in the 2012 draft.
For Hightower’s first seven seasons, Flores served on New England’s defensive staff – four seasons as the safeties coach, then three as the linebackers coach before becoming the head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
Others have compared Turner to Hightower.
“People keep comparing him to Will Anderson,” former Alabama coach Nick Saban said during ESPN’s coverage of the NFL draft. “He is more like Dont’a Hightower. He went inside, then outside, and we stood him up; he’s a fantastic rusher and can fill gaps inside, so I believe his adaptability is incredible.”
Turner felt flattered by the comparison.
“Being compared to an Alabama legend like Dont’a Hightower, Super Bowl champion, it’s a blessing, for sure,” Turner stated. “At first, his flexibility at the University of Alabama reminded me of mine. But Dont’a is that man, for sure.”
According to Flores, Turner will enter the NFL as a Saban-coached defensive player.
“He’s fast,” Flores added. “He is physical. He’s always sprinting to the ball, seeking to wreak havoc on whoever gets it. And it is also Coach Saban’s system, and many of the players who have come out of it do an excellent job of comprehending the game, circumstances, and playing quickly. Dallas undoubtedly does these things.”
