New Orleans Saints defensive end Payton Turner (shoulder), who had major shoulder surgery last November, announced on his Twitter page on Wednesday that he's been cleared. Turner was the 28th overall pick in the first round of last year's draft out of Houston, but he played in only five games in his rookie campaign, recording 12 tackles (nine solo), three tackles for loss, three QB hits and one sack. The 23-year-old suffered his shoulder injury in Week 9 last year and never returned. If Turner can stay healthy in his second NFL season, he should provide the Saints with a big boost along their defensive line.
The New Orleans Saints selected Houston defensive end Payton Turner with the No. 28 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft on Thursday night. Turner had an excellent Senior Bowl week by getting after the quarterback, but there are durability concerns. He has plenty of length and ability off the edge while rushing the quarterback, though. Turner has plenty of effort and hustle and chases the football all over the field. He has first-step explosiveness despite having long limbs. The Saints were widely expected to take a cornerback with their first-round pick and were even thought to be interested in trading up in the first round to do so, but they decided to go with a pass-rusher instead. Look for them to address their corner need on Friday.
