With Andrew Van Ginkel out, Vikings’ Dallas Turner will make first NFL start vs. Falcons

Vikings edge rusher and team captain Jonathan Greenard has been telling anyone who will listen that edge rusher Dallas Turner, a 2024 first-round pick, is going to be a standout player in the NFL.

Turner will get his biggest turn on stage Sunday night against the Falcons. He’s expected to make his first NFL start with outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel ruled out due to a concussion suffered Monday night in Chicago.

Greenard pointed to one area of Turner’s game that popped from the team’s film review session off the Bears game.

“He was playing the run really well,” Greenard told the Minnesota Star Tribune. “That was the main thing we wanted him to do. ... He was shocking guys, getting off the ball and making tackles; explosive, just giving that good juice and energy.”

Defensive coordinator Brian Flores said he emerged from the 27-24 win over the Bears thinking Turner should’ve played more. Turner played 29 of 67 snaps (43%), which is around his career high of 51% during his first NFL game last year.

Starting will be “a lot more responsibility,” Turner said, but he feels better prepared for this moment than if it had come a year ago.

“Felt much more comfortable with a year under my belt in the same system,” Turner said. “Emphasizing what’s important in what we run on defense, basically our roles as outside linebackers.”

“Very high,” Flores said. “I thought he played very well last week. When I looked back and saw the snap counts, I was — not miffed — but I thought he played more and thought we should’ve got him in more. ... He’s taken a lot of steps forward.”

Coach Kevin O’Connell said Turner’s playing time should increase moving forward regardless of Van Ginkel’s availability.

“The jump that he is currently experiencing and will continue to experience will be highlighted clearly with Gink being out,” O’Connell said, “but we have viewed it from Day 1 as three potential starters” between Greenard, Van Ginkel and Turner.

Left tackle Christian Darrisaw and cornerback Jeff Okudah have been ruled out for Sunday night against Atlanta.

Darrisaw did not have a setback, O’Connell clarified, because he had been listed as questionable to play last week against the Bears. O’Connell said that was only to allow Darrisaw to get his roughly 30-minute field workout before kickoff, which would not have been allowed if he had been ruled out.

“Just being in that environment, especially being on the road,” Darrisaw said. “I haven’t played in a game since October last year. It’s been a while since I’ve been in a stadium and that type of atmosphere. It definitely helped, but I’ve still got room for improvement in my knee.”

Okudah, who played 16 snaps in Chicago, suffered a concussion on the last play of the game. He returned to practice Friday on a limited basis, but will not play Sunday. The Vikings defense will also be without starting inside linebacker Blake Cashman, who was put on injured reserve Thursday. Running back Ty Chandler is out because of a knee injury, also on IR.

Safety Harrison Smith is listed questionable after three consecutive limited practices this week. Smith has said conditioning is what’s keeping him from returning. He did not return to practice until Sept. 6 from a personal health matter that first led to him stepping away during training camp about a month ago.

For the Falcons, receiver Drake London (shoulder) has been cleared to play after limited practices this week. Receiver Darnell Mooney (shoulder) will also play after missing Atlanta’s Week 1 loss to Tampa Bay.

Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune contributed to this story.