Payton Turner (born January 7, 1999) is an American professional football defensive end for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Houston and was drafted by the Saints in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft.

Payton Turner
refer to caption
Turner with the Saints in 2021
No. 98 – New Orleans Saints
Position:Defensive end
Personal information
Born: (1999-01-07) January 7, 1999 (age 25)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Height:6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight:270 lb (122 kg)
Career information
High school:Westside (Houston)
College:Houston (2017–2020)
NFL draft:2021 / round: 1 / pick: 28
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 9, 2024
Total tackles:38
Sacks:4.0
Forced fumbles:1
Fumble recoveries:1
Pass deflections:2
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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Turner grew up in Houston, Texas and attended Westside High School, where he played basketball and football.[1]

College career

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Turner was a member of the Houston Cougars for four seasons, starting his final three years.[2] He was a member of the Cougars' pass rush rotation during his freshman year and finished the season with 14 tackles, one sack and one interception.[3] His sophomore season ended prematurely due to a foot injury.[4] As a senior, Turner was named second team All-American Athletic Conference after recording 25 tackles, 10.5 for a loss, with five sacks in five games played, missing two games due to injury and opting out of the New Mexico Bowl.[5][6] After the season, Turner played in the 2021 Senior Bowl.[7]

Statistics

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Year GP Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
Solo Ast Total Loss Sack Int Yards Avg TD PD FR Yards TD FF
2017 8 10 4 14 2 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
2018 11 21 21 42 3.5 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0
2019 12 20 13 33 7.5 3.5 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0
2020 5 17 8 25 10.5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Bench press
6 ft 5+38 in
(1.97 m)
270 lb
(122 kg)
35 in
(0.89 m)
10+14 in
(0.26 m)
4.31 s 7.01 s 35.5 in
(0.90 m)
23 reps
All values from Pro Day[8][9][10]

Turner was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round (28th overall) of the 2021 NFL draft.[11] He signed his four-year rookie contract with New Orleans on June 8, 2021.[12] On November 11, 2021, Turner was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.[13]

On September 13, 2023, Turner was placed on injured reserve after suffering from a turf toe injury in the season opener against the Tennessee Titans.[14] He was activated on January 5, 2024.[15]

References

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  1. ^ Campos, Frank (September 27, 2017). "After interception, true freshman ready to make his mark". The Daily Cougar. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  2. ^ Baydoun, Darin Alexander (February 17, 2021). "NFL Draft Prospect Spotlight: Payton Turner". SI.com. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  3. ^ Duarte, Joseph (August 15, 2018). "Food for thought: How UH's Payton Turner bulked up". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  4. ^ Duarte, Joseph (November 19, 2018). "UH defensive lineman Payton Turner out for the season". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  5. ^ Wilson, Aaron (February 2, 2021). "UH's Payton Turner shows versatility at Senior Bowl". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  6. ^ Duarte, Joseph (December 14, 2020). "UH defensive end Payton Turner opting out of New Mexico Bowl". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  7. ^ Duarte, Joseph (April 10, 2021). "Payton Turner steals show at UH's pro day". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  8. ^ "Payton Turner Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  9. ^ "New Orleans Saints select Houston defensive end Payton Turner with the No. 28 pick in 2021 draft". NFL.com. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  10. ^ "Payton Turner, Houston, DE, 2021 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football". draftscout.com. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  11. ^ NFL Media (April 29, 2021). "Saints select Payton Turner with the No. 28 pick in 2021 draft". NFL.com.
  12. ^ Ortenberg, Andrew (June 8, 2021). "Saints Sign Entire Draft Class, Restructure Marshon Lattimore". Pro Football Rumors. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  13. ^ Alper, Josh (November 11, 2021). "Saints put Payton Turner on IR, activate Nick Vannett". ProFootballTalk. NBC Sports. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
  14. ^ "New Orleans Saints announce roster moves". NewOrleansSaints.com. September 13, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  15. ^ Hendrix, John (January 5, 2024). "Saints Activate Payton Turner, Place Nephi Sewell on IR". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
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