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LA Rams rookie Kobie Turner is redefining the standard for NFL nose tackles, and here's how:

By Bret Stuter

Cleveland Browns v Los Angeles Rams, Kobie Turner
Cleveland Browns v Los Angeles Rams, Kobie Turner / Michael Owens/GettyImages
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The LA Rams needed to find a nose tackle in the 2023 NFL Draft. After losing the like of veteran NT Sebastian Joseph-Day to the LA Chargers, and veteran NT Greg Gaines to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the defense had an urgent and compelling need to find a rookie nose tackle once more.

Nose tackles in the NFL are supposed to be fireplugs. A huge bodied NFL sumo wrestler, with enough muscle mass to allow the player to take on and hold his ground against two NFL offensive linemen. They are built low to the ground, a player who does not fight the forces of gravity, but rather aligns with gravity to ensure that no ball carrier gets past him.

But that is not how LA Rams rookie nose tackle Kobie Turner rolls.

Turner is cut from the same blue-collar mindset that has propelled his teammate Aaron Donald to NFL demigod status. Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 280 pounds of pure muscle. Rookie nose tackle Kobie Turner stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 288 pounds. While he is not at Aaron Donald's level just yet, he is improving rapidly.

The results of Coach Eric Henderson's coaching, and teammate Aaron Donald's mentoring, are truly remarkable to witness.

When was the last time that an NFL nose tackle recorded 5.5 quarterback sacks in just 12 games? Not often, I assure you.

In ranking the top NFL nose tackles of 2023 after eight weeks of play, the NFL Next Gen data analysts used a criteria of:

  • NT Snaps
  • NT Stops
  • NT Pressures
  • NT Overall Score

Notice that quarterback sacks did not appear as a criteria, because sacks rarely come off a nose tackle. While NextGen did a remarkable job at assessing players after eight games, I'd like to refresh their NT data. Of course, I haven't the means to replicate the algorithms that generated their NT overall score, but I can drop comparative numbers from the players named in their list. So, let's compare Kobie Turner to the NFL's Top-10 nose tackles after 12 games:

Name

Def Snaps

Tackles

Stops (solo)

QB hits

QB sacks

Tackles for a loss

Kobie Turner

486

47

24

8

5.5

5

Dexter Lawrence

531

41

25

17

4.0

4

Jarran Reed

594

41

23

11

5.0

6

Grady Jarrett

318

23

9

8

1.5

2

Michael Pierce

472

28

16

2

1.0

1

Vita Vea

458

33

24

9

5.5

8

Harrison Phillips

598

68

34

5

2.0

1

Montravius Adams

327

21

10

2

0.0

0

DaQuan Jones

113

10

6

5

2.5

3

Andrew Billings

359

22

10

2

0.0

3

TJ Slaton

476

39

18

1

0.0

2

Leki Fetu

279

25

15

2

2.5

5

While Turner is holding his own against the most accomplished NFL nose tackles in 2023, the role of Turner in the Rams defense is redefining the role. With the exception of Tampa Bay Buccaneers NT Vita Vea, and Seattle Seahawks NT Jarran Reed, most NFL nose tackles are not noted as solid pass rushers. They often are expected to hold their place in the center of the defense and reroute the offense to run to either side.

But that is not enough for Turner. Turner wants to get after the quarterback, and he is quite effective at doing so. Just look at the table above. Many names on the list are in their prime playing days. But Kobie Turner is just a rookie, and will be with the Rams for at least three more seasons.

Yes, the LA Rams future is looking quite bright.

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