Full Analysis Report: Grading Detroit Lions' Payton Turner Signing
FOXBOROUGH, MA - SEPTEMBER 26: New Orleans Saints defensive end Payton Turner 98 during a game between the New England Patriots and the New Orleans Saints on September 26, 2021 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire NFL, American Football Herren, USA SEP 26 Saints at Patriots Icon482210926180
FOXBOROUGH, MA - SEPTEMBER 26: New Orleans Saints defensive end Payton Turner 98 during a game between the New England Patriots and the New Orleans Saints on September 26, 2021 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire NFL, American Football Herren, USA SEP 26 Saints at Patriots Icon482210926180
Seems like Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell has kept his promise of adding competition to his team, as he also adds much-needed depth at pass rush with Payton Turner.
On Saturday, the Detroit Lions' official account on X (formerly Twitter) announced the signing of former first-round pick Turner to a one-year deal.
Detroit Lions on Sports Illustrated graded this move a “C,” and there is valid reasoning behind it. The former 28th overall pick has yet to be his best self since entering the NFL.
So far, Turner has been in the NFL for five seasons and managed to play in four of them. He played for the New Orleans Saints for those four seasons and was on injured reserve with the Dallas Cowboys last season.
2024 was the best season of his career, where he played 16 games, had 21 tackles, two sacks, four passes defended, and two forced fumbles. This saw him earn a 70.8 pass-rushing grade from Pro Football Focus, ranking him 34th among the 121 edge pass rushers that season.
Ahead of his draft 2021, this is what the Athletic’s Dane Brugler said about Payton Turner. “Turner is among the best effort players in this draft class, using his long strides and speed to chase down ball carriers.”
Brugler had further added, “He is a high-cut rusher, and battles balance issues vs. leveraged power, but he does a great job keeping his hands and feet in lock step to attack and work off the blocks."
However, the major Achilles' heel for the pass rusher is staying fit. He has so far injured his foot, shoulder, and calf, and was sidelined last year because of a rib injury.
What Went Wrong for the Edge Pass Rusher?
Unfortunately for Turner, injuries have plagued his career since his playing days at Houston.
Missing the majority of his sophomore season with a foot injury in college, and in the NFL, it started with a calf injury, and he was placed on injured reserve (IR) due to a shoulder injury.
Following that, injuries to the chest and ankle cost him numerous games in 2022. Turner injured his toe again, which led to him missing playing time in 2023.
The 2024 season was by far his best, production-wise. But he still dealt with knee and ankle issues, and the Saints released him.
In 2025, Jerry Jones signed him for the Cowboys, but he missed the whole season with a rib injury.
The Lions and Dan Campbell would hope to just keep him healthy and provide backup for Aidan Hutchinson on that pass rush unit.
Do you feel confident about Payton Turner after this report? Let us know in the comments.
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