2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Texas A&M DL Shemar Turner

From now until the 2025 NFL Draft takes place, we hope to scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top 10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Texas A&M DL Shemar Turner.

#5 Shemar Turner/DL Texas A&M – 6-4, 300 pounds (Senior)

Senior Bowl

Measurements

The Good

– Good play strength
– Great use of hands as a run stopper and pass rusher
– Sheds blocks using powerful hands
– Explosive get off that shocks blockers
– Great gap integrity
– Attempts to bat balls down when he does not win pass rush
– Great athletic ability
– Long strides allow him to surf gaps and be used in stunts
– Holds up defenders using strong arms to remain in gap
– Strong arms give him the ability to yank blockers down
– High motor guy who flies around the field
– Craves contact and hustles down the field
– Good eyes and timing locating ball carriers
– Great bend and athleticism
– Has the versatility to line up in 0-4 techniques

The Bad

– Lower weight so I do not think he lives at nose tackle
– Balance issues, struggles to stay on feet
– Does not possess powerful strength to bull rush as a pass rusher
– Low chance to hold up versus double teams
– Hardly wins with power, more finesse
– Can get blown back in gap-scheme runs versus a powerful blocker
– Needs to become a more consistent form tackler

Bio

– Started in 35 games across four seasons
– 2024: 36 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble
– Nominated for Defensive MVP at annual team banquet
– 2023: 33 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, 6 sacks, 2 forced fumbles
– Received All-SEC second-team honors in 2023 as a junior, along with winning Defensive Trenches Award at the team banquet
– 2022: 32 tackles, 4.5 TFL’s, .5 sacks
– Earned defense’s Mr. Dependable award at team banquet
– 2021: Played in eight games, recording 14 tackles, 2 TFL’s, and 1.5 sacks
– Named to 2021 Freshman All-SEC Team (Coaches)
– Attended DeSoto High School in Texas and was a consensus four-star recruit and a top-10 player in Texas by 247 Sports, Rivals, and ESPN
– Named first-team all-district in 2019
– Ejected from 2023 game against Ole Miss for throwing multiple punches, including punching a lineman in the groin
– Gained muscle in the 2024 offseason in part by following his “Chipotle Diet,” which consists of six chicken tacos a couple times a day
– Played with a stress fracture in the 2024 season; had to withdraw from Senior Bowl because the surgery had not fully healed

Tape Breakdown

The first thing that jumps off Shemar Turner’s tape is his athletic ability. His explosiveness off the ball allows him to get to his gap immediately and hold his spot, making the linebacker’s gap decision easy. When he is faced with a weaker blocker, Stewart uses his hands to win rather than with power. His arm strength is impressive to the point where he is holding blockers up with one hand while trying to locate the ball carrier. Here, he displays this strength against Notre Dame, making a TFL in a close game.

The tenacity with which Turner plays is what makes me confident in his ability, and it shows when he is getting off the ball. He is slightly undersized to play nose tackle consistently, but I like that he can make centers worry after snapping the ball about getting their head up and locating him because of how well he moves. This can cause the center to lunge, as shown here vs LSU.

Turner always seems eager to make a play but is very unselfish, as a defensive lineman should be. He understands his role very well and does what is best for the team, not for himself. He may not record any stats in a game but then the next one have a great box-score day. And even in those games where he doesn’t show up in the stat sheet, he will have done his job to the best of his ability and with a high motor.

Turner also has great ability to win with finesses and his use of hands. In the run and pass game, he attaches to blockers and yanks them down to make himself a free rusher. I do not view him as a great pass rusher, but he shows flashes of taking advantage of weak offensive line play and getting to the quarterback. Against LSU, poor offensive line play is what showed up.

The concern I have with Turner is that when he goes against top interior offensive linemen in the NFL, he is not strong enough to bull rush. While he has good lower-body strength, he won’t make a living running through people, as he is more reliable on winning with finesse. He was given a lot of respect from opponents in college as he was double-teamed a lot, and he did not do a great job when those were thrown his way. In gap runs, Turner can be blown off the ball and pushed into the second level. Turner can show flashes of winning with power, but some examples look like this, where a simple jab can move him a yard back.

While I have slight concerns with his down-to-down play strength, Turner’s motor is enough for anyone to fall in love with him. He plays to the end of every whistle and never stops fighting. It seems like he craves contact with blockers and his hustle shows up on tape more than most with players. Pairing this with his athletic ability and use of hands, I believe Turner is a player defensive coaches will love, and offensive coaches will hate to see him coming.

Conclusion

Shemar Turner’s athletic ability, high motor, and ability to win using his hands is what will make him a plus-player at the next level. I believe that he will be ready to contribute right away and can be a good starter down the line, along with being a team leader. His will to win makes me optimistic he can improve every day and eventually have a long NFL career.

My NFL comp is Jeffery Simmons.

Projection: Early Day 2
Depot Draft Grade: 8.3MED – Second Round (Future Quality Starter)
Games Watched: vs. Notre Dame (2024), vs. LSU (2024), at South Carolina (2024), vs. Texas (2024)