The Conductor may have a lot more to say about the Rams defense in 2024

When you see the visage of LA Rams second-year titan Kobie Turner and his infectious smile, you may find it quite difficult to imagine him as one of the most violent and carnage-creating interior defensive linemen in the NFL. Ah, but don't be fooled. Turner is in his natural element when he is confronted by two offensive linemen intent on stopping him before he gets to the quarterback. More often than not, It's Kobie Turner who wins that contest of wills.

Kobie Turner, who is also known as The Conductor, is unlike any other young NFL superstar. He does not seek the spotlight, unless he is asked to perform as a singer with pipes that carry melodies at perfect pitch throughout the auditorium without the aid of a microphone. He is the guy who sprints onto the football field throughout OTAs. And he is the guy who will be the epicenter of any random and spontaneous chorus of laughter.

To say that Turner loves football is a vast understatement. I love live performances, but am content to attend plays, concerts or other live productions just once or twice a month. This young man lives and breathes football 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And he remains as passionate about the game when the sun is beating down on him in the midst of a grueling summer afternoon as when he makes a game-winning quarterback sack.

When the team selected former Wake Forest defensive tackle Kobie Turner, the team was looking for rotational help for the interior defensive line. The team understood that up to that point in time, NT Bobby Brown III had yet to show significant progress, and the loss of both Greg Gaines and A'Shawn Robinson to free agency were huge setbacks to a defensive line that simply did not boast adequate depth. Turner's selection in Round 3 was a clear and undeniable statement.

He would be a key component to the Rams defensive line rotation. But he proved to be so much more for the Rams in 2023.