The Lions announced the signing of defensive lineman Payton Turner on Friday. The former first-round pick is joining his third NFL team.
After the Saints drafted Turner 28th overall in 2021, then-head coach Sean Payton said of the former Houston Cougar: “He’s got a lot of traits that we value. He was a high-energy player, he’s prototype, his size. We really had this player as someone that you couldn’t help but notice. The makeup was good.”
The pick did not work out for the Saints, who got 31 games (zero starts) and five sacks from Turner over a four-year span. Various injuries, including to his shoulder and toe, held Turner to just 15 of a possible 51 games in his first three seasons. The Saints declined Turner’s fifth-year option heading into 2024, though he went on to play a career-high 16 games and notch two sacks that season.
The Cowboys liked Turner enough to guarantee him $2MM in free agency a year ago, but a rib injury prevented him from suiting up in 2025. Even though the 27-year-old has amassed 54 absences in his half-decade in the league, the Lions will take an inexpensive flyer on him as they search for edge rushers to join Aidan Hutchinson. Detroit lost Al-Quadin Muhammad, who ranked second on the team with 11 sacks last year, to the Buccaneers in free agency. The Lions have since added six-year veteran D.J. Wonnum, while Marcus Davenport is still a free agent in the wake of back-to-back injury-plagued seasons in the Motor City.
Very obvious the Lions are throwing darts at the board in the form of former high upside draft picks.
They always get players who are constantly ending up on IR. Then when we lose they blame it on injuries.