The didn't start quite the way any defensive player wanted, as the first 14 picks all came on the offensive side of the ball. It wasn't until the No. 15 pick that a defensive prospect finally heard his name called, and to the surprise of many, it wasn't Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner.Turner was far from a lock to be the first defensive player off the board, but he was believed to be strongly in play for the Falcons' No. 8 pick along with UCLA's Laiatu Latu. That all changed when Atlanta went with Washington QB Michael Penix Jr., shaking up the draft.Like Latu, Turner had a tremendous 2023 season with 10 sacks and 14.5 tackles for lo s on Alabama's stout defense. As teams focus on quarterbacks, pa s-rushers, and cornerbacks have been the counterpunch for many teams in recent Shun Yamaguchi Jersey drafts. That's one reason Turner's fall to the back half of the first round was so surprising.SN's NFL DRAFT HQ | | Here's what you need to know about Turner's fall to No. 17 and why teams were hesitant about the Alabama star.NFL DRAFT RANKINGS: | | | | Dallas Turner's NFL Draft fall, explainedWalterFootball's Charlie Campbell that medical concerns could result in a fall for Turner."Some franchises had some medical i sues come back on Turner, which could lead him to going lower than the consensus has been during the pre-draft proce s," Campbell wrote, foreshadowing the slide Turner endured in the first round.Injury concerns are the most common reason for surprise draft night slides, and Turner's situation appears to be no different. They weren't enough to result in a shocking fall, but Turner himself admitted on stage Thursday night that he wasn't nece sarily expecting to be taken by the Vikings at least not after Minnesota used its first pick on ."I'm lost for words because I'm a Minnesota Viking. I'm just ble sed and thankful to be here." - : NFL Draft on Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) Turner was believed to be in play for the Falcons at No. 8 and the Vikings at No. 11, with the Colts at No. 15 arguably his projected floor. One non-injury factor was the quarterback rush, which was even greater than anticipated.While it was always po sible the Vikings used their top pick on a quarterback, the Falcons and Broncos also both taking a quarterback was a surprise. Atlanta and Denver were two spots that could have been ideal fits for Turner, and their decisions to prioritize pa sers limited the landing spots for the Alabama pa s-rusher.Dallas Turner injury historyIt isn't clear which medical i sues might have raised a red flag for teams, but Turner did suffer an undisclosed injury in 2023 spring practices that required surgery.Turner also spent a portion of December's SEC championship game against Georgia on the sideline working through an injury, but it was again unclear what he was dealing with. Turner returned to finish the game.Medical exams for NFL Draft prospects often turn up concerns that weren't even known entering the NFL Combine. While it isn't known if that's the case here, pre-draft exams are thorough enough to catch any number of i sues.MORE 2024 NFL DRAFT: | | | The Vikings weren't too di suaded by any potential injury concerns, as they moved up six slots to take Turner. Between Turner's raw ability and the job defensive coordinator Brian Flores did in Minnesota last season, the Vikings' pa s-rush attack is looking quite formidable with the rookie joining new additions Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel. Rowdy Tellez Jersey