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Detroit Lions defensive end Payton Turner (92) practices during mini camp at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Detroit Lions could use a big boost in their pass rush, and one former Lions players is predicting it could come from a surprise source.
Linebacker Grant Stuard left in free agency this year after just one season in Detroit. But he predicted over on Instagram that new Lions defensive end Payton Turner could be in for a humongous year. On an Instagram story, Stuard captioned a Turner post with the words, “10 PLUS SACKS WATCH.”
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Now, Stuard isn’t exactly an impartial judge here. Both Turner and Stuard were teammates for four years in college at Houston. When the Lions signed Turner in free agency, Stuard was one of the first to praise the move online, calling it a “perfect fit.“
But Turner could also be a player some are unfairly overlooking. While injuries caused Turner to miss 36 games in his first three years, he was a first-round pick from the Saints in 2021. He has a great athletic profile—particularly for Detroit’s physical style they prefer in defensive ends.
That said, a 10+ sack season would be a huge jump from realistic expectations. Turner has only produced 5.0 sacks in 31 games. He’ll also have to compete for playing time with second-round pick Derrick Moore and free agent addition DJ Wonnum.
Still, it’s fun to think about what could happen if Turner suddenly lives up to his potential, much like Charles Harris’ 7.5-sack season in 2021.
- Over on The Feed, Defend the Den re-drafted the Lions’ 2024 draft with the power of hindsight. They came out with a pretty nice haul.
- He may have already lost his season to injury, but get to know Lions rookie WR Kendrick Law via this personal Q&A via DetroitLions.com.
- Congrats to Amon-Ra St. Brown for getting engaged to his fiancé Brooklyn Adams:
- Rookie linebacker Jimmy Rolder had a solid spring. The Detroit News’ Richard Silva caught up with the former Wolverine about his first NFL OTAs and minicamp went.
- Pretty neat to see the newly-retired Darius Slay all over ESPN this week. Here are a few clips:
Patrick Surtain II
Derek Stingley Jr.
Christian Gonzalez@bigplay24slay ranks his top-5 cornerbacks in the NFL pic.twitter.com/O1FHU1IJi6
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) July 7, 2026
"[Cameron Jordan] is, besides Drew Brees, the face of New Orleans."
—@bigplay24slay on Cameron Jordan's impact with the Saintspic.twitter.com/HeJMgINnmT
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) July 7, 2026
- Our friends at Behind the Steel Curtain offer a couple of Steelers trade targets that may specifically interest the Lions.
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