The Detroit Lions used the offseason thus far to make tweaks to the roster after narrowly missing the playoffs in 2025. They hope that's not the case again in 2026, which means they will need some of the players they added in free agency to be productive.
Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard spoke to the media on Wednesday and spoke about multiple players. But defensive end Payton Turner seems to have caught his coach's eye. Sheppard expressed that he thinks 2026 is the year “the light comes on” for Turner, per Mike Payton of AtoZSports.
Even though pads haven't come on yet, Turner is still doing things on the practice field and in the classroom that have Sheppard believing in him. This was a dart throw by the front office, as they signed Turner to a one-year, $1.145 million deal.
He will have to earn his spot in the rotation if he wants a real shot at playing, but it sounds like he'll be given the runway to do so.
Kelvin Sheppard has faith in Payton Turner ahead of Lions 2026 season
This offseason, the Lions saw Al-Quadin Muhammad leave in free agency to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after an 11-sack campaign. They were looking to fill in that role, which led them to sign Turner and draft Derrick Moore. While Moore may be expected to make an impact as a second-round pick, Turner will have a spot in the defensive rotation if he plays well leading up to the season.
Turner was the 28th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, but injuries have harmed his career. He's missed time with chest, toe, shoulder, ankle, and rib fracture injuries. They limited him to just 31 career games in four seasons, playing in eight or fewer games in three of the four campaigns.
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Of course, the missed time limited his impact, as he's logged 50 total tackles, 11 QB hits, 11 tackles for loss, and five sacks. He hasn't shown that he's a reliable option thus far in his NFL career, but that isn't clouding Sheppard's judgment.
He's giving Turner the chance to prove himself. It's obvious his new defensive coordinator thinks there's untapped potential there.
Considering the Lions already have Aidan Hutchinson dominating on one side of the line, finding guys who can fill in on the other side is important. The battle between Turner, Moore, and DJ Wonnum for snaps will be interesting to watch this summer. Turner has a fan on the sideline, and the fact that it's Sheppard is telling.
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