Rams rebuilt this front in one offseason when they lost AD. So let's not oversell Turner's importance.
He's a key player for us, certainly. But if they can't get him on a second contract at their price point they'll let him walk.
Rams (#232) 7th Round Tim Keenan III, DT, Alabama
- Thread starter Memphis Ram
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He's a key player for us, certainly. But if they can't get him on a second contract at their price point they'll let him walk.
Again, he's the main lynchpin for our defense (yes, even above Young and Verse; while they can get after the QB and do a hell of a lot on the field, Turner is the only interior rusher on the D-line who can collapse the pocket and get after the QB, while also being elite against the run), is a team captain and leader, and he's not going to cost nearly as much as Puka, for example.
I'd rather lose Young (who can be replaced by Stewart and potentially another edge), one of Dotson or Avila (which almost certainly will happen), and Desjuan Johnson (whom I would hate to let go, as I think he's going to be a steal for some other team) than lose Turner for a disagreement over a contract; he is that important for our defense, and I'm not attempting to oversell his importance because he really is that important.
No they didn’t. They hit on Turner and Young for ADs last year. The front was being built while AD was still here. If Turner didn’t hit, rams would have no interior push. Turner is absolutely necessary. He’s better than most and still flies under the radar. Losing him would be worse than losing Verse
They most certainly did. The year after AD retired the DL was of sufficient quality, which demonstrates the organization's ability to replace a Hall of Fame player. So by extension it is silly talk to wring our hands over Turner.
So you maintain that this was rebuilt in one off-season, when two of the four most important pieces were here when AD was here? Got it.
I maintain that in one offseason they recovered from the loss of the best DT in recent league memory. And I think that demonstrates that hand wringing over a starter level DT is silliness.
Snead talked about needing four to five players to replace AD. As mentioned, per the GM, they started before AD retired with Turner and BY. Verse and Fiske were just the finishing touches.
I'd say Turner and Verse are the key. I think they can survive losing Young and Fiske.
Yeah, Fiske never seems to be 100% unfortunately. If he could stay healthy I think he could be special, but even when he plays he seems to be playing while banged up.
I'm not sure I'd say special even when healthy. Maybe special as a pass rusher, but he's a liability against the run.
WestCoastRam
Legend
Really looking for Verse to perfect a second pass rush move this season. His lack of variety was exposed last year.
The whole line could use a new move. Verse still needs to stop whiffing. He is not a closer. He really disrupts, but the reason he has such a high hurry rate is he struggles to close.
WestCoastRam
Legend
Better secondary play will add that half second for him to get him at least.
I think his problem is his core strength. Some dudes have that ability to anchor vs a double, Fiske struggles with it. I don't know if he can fix that with technique and more strength training, but having a strong rotation on the nose to eat up blockers helps Fiske and it's not a bad thing for Turner either.
It will make a difference no doubt, but he has got to tackle WAY BETTER.
Great breakdown of Tim’s two gap run stopping ability which compares well to DTs taken in round two. It turns out he played injured last year and because he doesn’t have an elite athletic profile fell way past where he probably should have been picked. That is no lower than round 3 based on his impact during his best year, 2024!
He could be a huge steal at a position we needed coming into the draft. A big body who can eat blockers and make plays on 1st and 2nd down
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nydjzhts8T0&pp=ugUHEgVlbi1VU9IHCQlPAqO1ajebQw%3D%3D
He could be a huge steal at a position we needed coming into the draft. A big body who can eat blockers and make plays on 1st and 2nd down
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nydjzhts8T0&pp=ugUHEgVlbi1VU9IHCQlPAqO1ajebQw%3D%3D
I read somewhere that he impressed during senior bowl practices. I will try and find it but here is a rep against Slaughter, who I liked and who went higher, as I predicted, than the consensus due to his athletic testing. That athleticism didn’t save him on this rep!
View: https://x.com/Jared_NFLDraft/status/2017007452789575790?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2017007452789575790%7Ctwgr%5E22bd8174c34b4e0b702252b19005a141fc73093f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fcollege%2Falabama%2Ffootball%2Fhow-alabama-players-performed-at-2026-senior-bowl
View: https://x.com/Jared_NFLDraft/status/2017007452789575790?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2017007452789575790%7Ctwgr%5E22bd8174c34b4e0b702252b19005a141fc73093f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fcollege%2Falabama%2Ffootball%2Fhow-alabama-players-performed-at-2026-senior-bowl
Could Alabama nose tackle Tim Keenan III run defense help us mimic Seattle by playing more hybrid fronts and defensive backs in nickel and dime?
Some things worth noting.
1. He played all season after a high ankle sprain! That’s a positive
2. If he had declared in 2025 he would have gone much, much, higher
3. The players around him were not as NFL ready as in years previously.
4. He can put on good weight and more strength without it negatively affecting his game
5. He’s a true nose tackle and a great run defender coming out of college with plenty of experience having dominated run games in the SEC
6. As a NT he is somewhat dependent on the play of others and in 2025 Alabama had a down year on defense that cannot be attributed to him. Given he played despite recovering from surgery, his run stops tell us, he was prepared to make the difference on his own even though he was playing below par. He was a leader out there
This report gives him a day three grade but let’s bear in mind that the analysis is based on the consensus which saw him slide due to athletic testing. I ask you, how jmportant is athletic testing for a NT?! His arm length might even be a blessing when he consistently wins the leverage battle because it allows him to control the lineman in front of him once he has a grip
Scouting report:
“NFL defenses are in a curious, and difficult, spot in 2026.
Offense are increasingly sophisticated and explosive, weaponizing every aspect of play design to move the ball and score points. In a response to explosive passing attacks, NFL defenses have shifted to two-deep coverages, but that in turn has led to a renaissance for rushing attacks.
Could that mean run defense specialists will see their draft stock rise? Players like nose tackle Tim Keenan III of Alabama certainly hope so.
Games Watched: vs. Vanderbilt (2024), vs. Tennessee (2024), vs. South Carolina (2025)
Red Flags: “Lower leg” (required Tightrope surgery to repair, August 2025)
Keenan III is a squat, massive, and powerful nose tackle prospect. Keenan III is built like a potbelly stove at 6-foot-1, 332 pounds, and he’s similarly hard to move when he doesn’t want to be moved.
He is a run defense specialist who excels at controlling interior gaps, creating piles, and generally eliminating an A or B-gap (or one of each) from the play. Keenan III typically keys the snap well, and has a pretty quick first step. He generally does a good job of keeping his pads low – to go with great natural leverage – and routinely able to anchor against double teams or drive individual blockers into the backfield.
Keenan III also has a powerful upper body which allows him to control blockers when he establishes inside leverage, as well as discard blocks at will to make plays when a blocker presses his gap. Runners frequently appear as though they’ve run into a wall when attacking a gap that Keenan III is defending, and he’s also able to keep linebackers clean to flow to the ball or blitz.
And despite his frame and mass, Keenan III offers truly excellent effort in pursuit. He’s very quick to diagnose the run, disengage, and redirect to pursue the ball.
Keenan III is great at what he does, however is a very limited prospect overall.
He’s massively powerful with an awesome anchor, but not much in the way of explosiveness or foot speed after his second step. Keenan III has very little upside as a pass rusher or as a penetrator for a team that uses a four-man rush. Likewise, he has a very stocky frame at 6-foot-1 with 31-inch arms, which limits his ability to defeat blockers on his way into the backfield. Those traits could also make it difficult for him to disengage from blockers at the NFL level.
Keenan III offers amazing effort in pursuit, however his range is predictably limited and he simply isn’t a factor beyond a couple yards. He also isn’t a factor as a looper on stunts and twists, nor can he scrape laterally to impact runs outside of his gap.
He suffered a “lower leg” injury in practice before the season and had tightrope surgery to repair the injury. Keenan III was able to return, but didn’t hit his stride until the latter part of the season.
Keenan III is an excellent run defender and a true nose tackle who can play in a 3 or 4-man front. However, he offers almost no upside as a pass rusher and his appeal could be limited for teams that depend on a four-man pass rush. Likewise, his ability to impact the play comes with a very limited range, and he quickly becomes a non-factor the further from his initial alignment the ball goes.
No team will be upset to draft Keenan III, however it should be understood that his athletic and schematic limitations will likely put a hard cap on the ceiling of his draft stock”
www.bigblueview.com
Some things worth noting.
1. He played all season after a high ankle sprain! That’s a positive
2. If he had declared in 2025 he would have gone much, much, higher
3. The players around him were not as NFL ready as in years previously.
4. He can put on good weight and more strength without it negatively affecting his game
5. He’s a true nose tackle and a great run defender coming out of college with plenty of experience having dominated run games in the SEC
6. As a NT he is somewhat dependent on the play of others and in 2025 Alabama had a down year on defense that cannot be attributed to him. Given he played despite recovering from surgery, his run stops tell us, he was prepared to make the difference on his own even though he was playing below par. He was a leader out there
This report gives him a day three grade but let’s bear in mind that the analysis is based on the consensus which saw him slide due to athletic testing. I ask you, how jmportant is athletic testing for a NT?! His arm length might even be a blessing when he consistently wins the leverage battle because it allows him to control the lineman in front of him once he has a grip
Scouting report:
“NFL defenses are in a curious, and difficult, spot in 2026.
Offense are increasingly sophisticated and explosive, weaponizing every aspect of play design to move the ball and score points. In a response to explosive passing attacks, NFL defenses have shifted to two-deep coverages, but that in turn has led to a renaissance for rushing attacks.
Could that mean run defense specialists will see their draft stock rise? Players like nose tackle Tim Keenan III of Alabama certainly hope so.
Games Watched: vs. Vanderbilt (2024), vs. Tennessee (2024), vs. South Carolina (2025)
Red Flags: “Lower leg” (required Tightrope surgery to repair, August 2025)
Keenan III is a squat, massive, and powerful nose tackle prospect. Keenan III is built like a potbelly stove at 6-foot-1, 332 pounds, and he’s similarly hard to move when he doesn’t want to be moved.
He is a run defense specialist who excels at controlling interior gaps, creating piles, and generally eliminating an A or B-gap (or one of each) from the play. Keenan III typically keys the snap well, and has a pretty quick first step. He generally does a good job of keeping his pads low – to go with great natural leverage – and routinely able to anchor against double teams or drive individual blockers into the backfield.
Keenan III also has a powerful upper body which allows him to control blockers when he establishes inside leverage, as well as discard blocks at will to make plays when a blocker presses his gap. Runners frequently appear as though they’ve run into a wall when attacking a gap that Keenan III is defending, and he’s also able to keep linebackers clean to flow to the ball or blitz.
And despite his frame and mass, Keenan III offers truly excellent effort in pursuit. He’s very quick to diagnose the run, disengage, and redirect to pursue the ball.
Keenan III is great at what he does, however is a very limited prospect overall.
He’s massively powerful with an awesome anchor, but not much in the way of explosiveness or foot speed after his second step. Keenan III has very little upside as a pass rusher or as a penetrator for a team that uses a four-man rush. Likewise, he has a very stocky frame at 6-foot-1 with 31-inch arms, which limits his ability to defeat blockers on his way into the backfield. Those traits could also make it difficult for him to disengage from blockers at the NFL level.
Keenan III offers amazing effort in pursuit, however his range is predictably limited and he simply isn’t a factor beyond a couple yards. He also isn’t a factor as a looper on stunts and twists, nor can he scrape laterally to impact runs outside of his gap.
He suffered a “lower leg” injury in practice before the season and had tightrope surgery to repair the injury. Keenan III was able to return, but didn’t hit his stride until the latter part of the season.
Keenan III is an excellent run defender and a true nose tackle who can play in a 3 or 4-man front. However, he offers almost no upside as a pass rusher and his appeal could be limited for teams that depend on a four-man pass rush. Likewise, his ability to impact the play comes with a very limited range, and he quickly becomes a non-factor the further from his initial alignment the ball goes.
No team will be upset to draft Keenan III, however it should be understood that his athletic and schematic limitations will likely put a hard cap on the ceiling of his draft stock”
NY Giants 2026 NFL Draft scouting report: Tim Keenan III, iDL, Alabama
Could Alabama nose tackle Tim Keenan III solve the NY Giants run defense woes?
www.bigblueview.com
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