Converted DE Shemar Turner Sees Fit with ‘Hard-Nosed’ Steelers at DT | Steelers 2025 NFL Draft Profile
INDIANAPOLIS. — The buzz around the defensive lineman in this class has been all the rage over the past several months and that is a theme that has continued here at the NFL Combine. No matter what style of player you’re looking for, there is a contributor in this class that can help your football team fill that void. Versatility is one of those things that ever scouting department values to different degrees and Texas A&M’s Shemar Turner certainly has some flexibility to his game.
An edge rusher by trade, Turner had conversations with his coaching staff and made the decision to slide inside to defensive tackle for his final season in College Station.
In order to make that transition, he knew he needed to bulk up and add the necessary mass to his frame in order to hold up in the trenches. Turner gained around 30 pounds by eating an additional meal per day, with Chipotle being his food of choice. Now comfortable at around 295 pounds, he feels like he’s suited to find a long-term home at a defensive tackle.
“For how athletic I am and how strong I am at 290, I feel like I have a real advantage on the inside,” Turner said at the NFL Combine on Wednesday. “Guards are going to have a real problem with me in the league.”
His journey to the NFL is definitely unique, but it’s something that he feels will benefit him both as a run defender and pass rusher.
“Learning different ways to do different stuff against different people and different body types,” Turner said. “Whether it’s longer guys, shorter guys and just knowing how to attack them.”
Through four seasons in college, Turned accumulated over 1,600 snaps in the best conference in football, which means experience is certainly in his favor in comparison to some of his peers.
Over the last two seasons, Turner has been honing in on his hand usage to allow him to strike and get off blocks, which is increasingly important given the fact that he’s destined for a role on the interior where everything happens a beat quicker. The Steelers are one of the teams that took notice of this development, hosting him for a formal interview. His first impression of the organization?
“Man, they’re pretty hard-nosed but they love football. It’s football, football, football and they preach it.”
He also went on to say that he loved Coach Tomlin’s energy in the room.
HOW DOES SHEMAR TURNER FIT WITH STEELERS?
We saw Omar Khan, Andy Weidl and Mike Tomlin focus heavily on upgrading the offensive line but the other side of the ball needs some attention now. The 2025 NFL Draft offers Pittsburgh a unique opportunity to snag one, or potentially two, quality players in the trenches. The AFC North features two of the best quarterbacks in football, while rest of the conference is no slouch either, and the best way to hinder their success is to consistently condense the pocket. Still, they can’t forget about getting pummeled into submission on the ground in their playoff loss to the Ravens either.
Cam Heyward bounced back in a monster way last season but it’s unrealistic to expect him to follow it up with a similar performance next season. Keeanu Benton has had flashes where he’s a disruptive player beyond what the box score suggests but they need him to take another step forward next fall. Larry Ogunjobi is a potential cap casualty due to injuries and inconsistent play prohibiting him from living up to the billing of his contract. The further you get down the depth chart, the quicker you realize that there isn’t much more to get excited about.
There will inevitably be comparisons to DeMarvin Leal, a fellow tweener, but the main difference here is that Turner’s coaching staff was more proactive in getting him playing time in a role that he had a future in. At the bare minimum, that gives evaluators a cleaner projection because there’s actually proof of context to see his strengths/weaknesses are. Another notable difference between the two is that Turner is more explosive and a better overall athlete on film. His testing numbers on Thursday should confirm this.
As a pass rusher, Turner has a solid get-off to shoot into gaps with the primary goal of ripping under a blocker but he also has a cross-chop move in his bag as a changeup. His motor runs hot and there are signs on film that he’s super competitive team player that’s willing to throw his body around as a pick player but his acceleration makes him a prime candidate as a looper. Despite not having freakish length, there are reps where he looks dominant and flashes the ability to generate first contact, lock guys out and get off blocks. Upper body strength is not an issue and his hands have shock value that can knock guys off balance at the point of attack.
As you’d expect for someone that has only been playing this position for a hot minute, there are a lot of things that he needs to work on. Turner is on the ground — a lot. He’s regularly caught off guard due to tunnel vision of what’s in front of him and is not a stranger to getting displaced multiple gaps over. He lacks ideal lower body strength and this shows up when trying to sit down versus double teams or when trying to sustain power rushes to collapse the pocket. You have to admire the tenacity and effort that he plays with on every snap but he’s too out of control. His hands are always moving but wildly erratic and while there are quick wins on his tape, he doesn’t finish consistently because he’s unable to come to balance once he gets in the backfield.
Whoever drafts Turner will be banking on the traits and if the work ethic is up to par, there is a path to him becoming a starter if everything breaks the right way. That likely won’t happen as a rookie. But if you’re looking for upside off the bench, you could do a lot worse, especially if you’re a stunt heavy front.
SHERMAR TURNER COLLEGE STATS
Turned played alongside multiple talented defenders that will likely be drafted ahead of him on draft weekend but still maintained modest production during his first year at his new position. His 19 stops tied a career high and if not for an extremely high missed tackle rate, he would have flew past that mark with ease.
| Year – Team | GS | Tkl | TFL | Sack | FF |
| 2024 – Texas A&M | 12 | 36 | 6 | 2 | 1 |
| 2023 – Texas A&M | 12 | 33 | 11 | 6 | 2 |
| 2022 – Texas A&M | 11 | 32 | 5 | 0.5 | 0 |
| 2021 – Texas A&M | 8 | 14 | 2 | 1.5 | 0 |
TALE OF THE TAPE
Measured at the NFL Combine: 6-foot-3, 290 pounds, 33 5/8-inch arms, 10 1/4-inch hands
Listed by Texas A&M: 6-4, 300 pounds
WHERE WILL BE SHEMAR TURNER BE DRAFTED?
Turner missed the Senior Bowl event because he was still recovering from a stress fracture and thus will not be doing any testing at the NFL Combine. That’s a real bummer for his draft stock because he would have surely shown well in this regard. His next opportunity to strap up the cleats will be at his pro day where he plans to do everything.
FILM ROOM
ODDS AND ENDS
Turner attended DeSoto High School in DeSoto, Texas near Dallas, which has been an NFL factory, with alumni including Von Miller, Jalen Mills, Byron Murphy II, James Proche, Laviska Shenault and Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr. … The Steelers have drafted three players from Texas A&M since 2021: linebacker Buddy Johnson, tackle Dan Moore Jr. and Leal. … Turner’s defensive line coach at A&M was Sean Spencer, a Clarion alum who previously coached at Penn State from 2014-19 and in the NFL with the New York Giants.