by J.T. Toth
Photo courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics.
At Draft 412, the NFL draft talk never ends. We will keep you ready for the next set of gridiron stars—from today and all the way until draft night 2024. We will bring you mock drafts, player profiles, individual team needs, and everything else you may need related to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Today’s Spotlight - Texas A&M, Edge Rusher, Shemar Turner
Name- Shemar Turner
Pos- Edge Rush
Team- Texas A&M
HT/WT- 6’4” 290 lbs.
Born- n/a
Home – DeSoto, TX
Shemar Turner was a consensus 4-star and top 10 overall player in Texas while playing at DeSoto High School. He dominated the defensive line for 4 years and was a first-team all-district in 2019. With many division one offers, Turner decided to stay close to home and play football at Texas A&M.
As a true freshman in 2021, Turner played in 8 games and was named to the Coaches’ Freshman All-SEC Team. He gradually played more as the season progressed and finished with 14 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
Last season, Turner started all 11 games he played in and was named the defense’s Mr. Dependable Award at the annual team banquet. On the season, he collected 32 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and ½ a sack for the Aggies.
This season, Turner has raised his game. In 9 starts, he has already accrued 27 tackles and has set career highs in tackles for a loss with 9 and sacks with 5. His play this season is a big reason he has been rising up draft boards and he is not slowing down.
Turner has an initial burst, which allows him to consistently threaten the edge. He has length to go with strong hands and is a hard working pass rusher who never quits, always playing through the whistle. He has an efficient starting base and has the core strength to anchor in, making it hard for linemen to move. He plays with the right pad level, which he uses to get inside a blockers chest and is able to shed their initial contact. Turner is instinctive and with his non-stop motor, he is capable of chasing ball carriers down from the backside.
Where Turner lacks is in his tackling mechanics. He misses too many tackles and at times, guys beat him around the edge even though he has the runner bottled up. When it comes to pass rushing moves, he is only north and south and lacks the moves and footwork to beat a blocker inside. His speed and footwork are not up to par with other top edge prospects. Though he never quits, he just does not have that extra gear to get to the ball carriers at times. He does not change directions smoothly and lacks the agility to change directions.
A good comparison for Shemar Turner is John Franklin-Myers, a 4th round pick in 2018 out of Stephen F. Austin. Franklin-Myers had limited pass rushing moves and got away with pure upper body strength in college. Turner has a good shot of being drafted around the 4th or 5th round like Franklin-Myers and a chance to grow into a quality defensive end over time.
Strengths
Hands
Instincts
Low base
Initial burst
Weaknesses
Tackling
Speed
Footwork
Pass rushing moves
Final Analysis
Shemar Turner has had a breakout season so far in 2023, and even with a year of eligibility left, Draft 412 thinks he will ride this wave into the NFL Draft. An outside chance to be a day 2 pick, Draft 412 thinks a 4th or 5th round is a better bet.
Draft 412 Draft Prediction - 4th or 5th round