New Orleans Saints DE Payton Turner due for a breakout season in 2022

With the 28th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints drafted Payton Turner and he disappointed greatly during his rookie year. Time for him to breakout in 2022!

New Orleans Saints fans are used to the team making puzzling decisions in the first round of the NFL Draft each year. Their selection of Payton Turner with the 28th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft felt like it was the organization’s attempt at hitting the reset button on the Marcus Davenport pick from a few years prior.

While Davenport turned things around in 2021, Turner only appeared in five games and eventually ended up on injured reserve. It was a disappointing season for the first-round pick but the good news is that he really can only go up from here.

Alex Kay of Bleacher Report put together a list of every team’s breakout candidate for this upcoming season and picked Turner for New Orleans.

Kay offered this analysis:

"Turner’s upside on the edge is undeniably high despite a rather limited pass-rushing moveset. The 24-year-old displayed growth in that area last year, and the Saints will want him to continue honing those skills this summer.The Houston product has all of the physical traits to be an excellent defender capable of filling several roles at a high level. If Turner can stay healthy and expand his repertoire, he will be a nightmare for opposing offenses to deal with."

Watch out for New Orleans Saints DE Payton Turner this year!

I’d have to agree that Turner is a breakout candidate for the 2022 season. After all, when he was on the field, he was playing well. Kay notes in his writeup that Turner had five pressures, three tackles for loss, and a sack during his NFL debut.

Injuries kept Turner off the field but the second-year product out of Houston tweeted that he’s cleared to take the field and start helping his team.

With Davenport entering the final year of his rookie contract, it’s even more important for Turner to step up and show he can stay healthy and make a difference. If Davenport signs elsewhere, Turner will be his replacement so this year is huge for him and he hopefully won’t disappoint.

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Let’s keep our fingers crossed that Payton Turner balls out this year for the black and gold.