The theme of the early stages of the 2019 NFL Draft wasn’t difficult to discern—defense ruled the day. Yes, the No. 1 overall pick was a quarterback (Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray), but of the top-10 pick, a staggering eight of those were defenders. More than half of the top-10 was defensive linemen.
It’s that defensive line where the meat’s at in 2019. Starting with Ohio State’s Nick Bosa at No. 2 overall, the top-10 was littered with defensive linemen who could make an immediate impact, whether it’s Bosa, Clelin Ferrell of Clemson or Houston’s Ed Oliver.
It’s another story where the off-ball linebackers are concerned. My top two rookie IDPs overall in 2019 are linebackers who went inside the top-10 (LSU’s Devin White and Michigan’s Devin Bush). But outside that duo, there isn’t a single off-ball linebacker in 2019 with a clear path to the sort of every-down role that sets the stage for steady fantasy production in the early-going.
This isn’t to say that there won’t be another linebacker that comes from this class who goes on to shine as a rookie. But this is the weakest class at the position we’ve seen in some time.
We didn’t see a safety come off the board until No. 21, when the Green Bay Packers selected Maryland’s Darnell Savage. But there are some first-year defensive backs who landed in situations that set them up well from an IDP perspective.
Now that the introductions are out of the way, let’s dig in to how the 2019 NFL draft sets up this year’s incoming class of individual defensive players.
Before we do, a quick note. These rankings are technically for dynasty IDP leagues, but frankly in my opinion there isn’t that much difference between the two formats where IDPs are concerned. Too much can change from one year to the next on a defense to plan too far ahead.
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Defensive Linemen
1.) Nick Bosa – DE, San Francisco 49ers: Bosa’s as NFL-ready as he is talented—a player who should slide into an every-down role at LDE right off the bat for the 49ers. He has the makings of being every bit the star his older brother is—maybe even better.
2.) Clelin Ferrell – DE, Oakland Raiders: The Raiders sent some eyebrows skyward when they made Ferrell the fourth overall pick. The 6'4", 264-pounder doesn’t have the same IDP ceiling of some of the players on this list. But the snaps will be there for him from Day 1.
3.) Brian Burns – DE, Carolina Panthers: There was more than a little concern that Burns would wind up as a rush linebacker in a 3-4 defense. Now the bigger IDP concern is what kind of snap count Burns will see in 2019 behind Mario Addison and Bruce Irvin.
4.) Ed Oliver – DT, Buffalo Bills: I was tempted to rank Oliver even higher, as I think h’s explosiveness and disruptive ability is tailor-made for making IDP hay. Comparing Oliver to Aaron Donald may be jumping the gun a little (or a lot), but there are some intriguing similarities.
5.) Josh Allen – DE, Jacksonville Jaguars: Allen’s another “tweener” who hit the positional designation jackpot by landing in Jacksonville. However, his 2019 may be relatively quiet playing behind Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue. You’re drafting Allen with an eye on 2020.
6.) Quinnen Williams – DT, New York Jets: The No. 3 overall pick by the New York Jets was regarded as the top prospect overall in this class by some draftniks, and maybe I’m sleeping on Williams a bit. But I fear that he’s going to be a better NFL player than IDP option.
7.) Rashan Gary – DE, Green Bay Packers: It’s possible that Gary will be re-classified as an outside linebacker, but I think the 6'4", 277-pounder will remain a DL. The question then becomes whether his athleticism and potential will ever equate to steady IDP production.
8.) Jerry Tillery – DT, Los Angeles Chargers: Tillery was something a gift for the Chargers at No. 28 overall—a talented young three-technique that fills a need for the team. He has the makings of a so-so weekly starter in DT-required IDP leagues.
9.) Chase Winovich – DE, New England Patriots: The instant that the New England Patriots drafted Winovich at No. 77, a name popped into my head—Rob Ninkovich. Don’t be surprised in Winovich goes to become a similar high-floor DL2 in IDP leagues.
10.) Jeffery Simmons – DT, Tennessee Titans: Simmons will sit out the 2019 season after tearing his ACL in pre-draft workouts. But prior to that, Simmons was considered a top-10 prospect by many in the draft community. He could be s steal for IDP owners willing to be patient.
Linebackers
1.) Devin White – ILB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: White’s the No. 1 rookie IDP overall by a fair margin—a rangy, athletic young linebacker who will start and play in subpackages off the get. Like Roquan Smith and Tremaine Edmunds a year ago, he’s an excellent bet to produce from the moment he sets foot on the field.
2.) Devin Bush – ILB, Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers traded up 10 spots to nab Bush in the hopes that he can fill the void on the Pittsburgh defense that has existed since Ryan Shazier got hurt. If he plays up to expectations, the sky’s the limit for him in the Steel City.
3.) Germaine Pratt – OLB, Cincinnati Bengals: Pratt’s a converted free safety, which in theory should speak well to his range and coverage ability. The Bengals LB corps is a hot mess, so if he’s a quick study there’s a puncher’s chance he’s a Week 1 starter
4.) Montez Sweat – OLB, Washington Redskins: It says something about the state of this year’s linebacker class that a rush OLB slots this high in the rankings. The Mississippi State standout was the second of a pair of outstanding first-round picks by the Redskins.
5.) Mack Wilson – ILB, Cleveland Browns: Yes, Wilson was drafted by the Browns after Sione Takitaki. But I remain convinced that the Alabama linebacker is the better talent, and if a Browns rookie LB is going to make a dent in 2019 my money’s on him. Call it a hunch.
6.) Bobby Okereke – ILB, Indianapolis Colts: Okereke’s a rangy but undersized inside linebacker that has both talents and weaknesses. Anthony Walker‘s not a world-beater at MIKE for the Colts, so it’s possible that Okereke could give him a run for his money in training camp.
7.) Jahlani Tavai – ILB, Detroit Lions: Tavai is an aggressive, physical linebacker who was wildly productive at Hawaii. The Lions can certainly use the help at the position, but the overriding question with the second-round pick will be range and coverage ability.
8.) Te’Von Coney – ILB, Oakland Raiders: The entire NFL draft came and went without Coney hearing his name called. But the 6'1", 234-pounder isn’t without talent, and he fell into an Oakland linebacker corps that’s one of the weaker in the National Football League.
9.) Cody Barton – ILB, Seattle Seahawks: Barton’s not especially fast or athletic, but he’s a hard-nosed, physical player with good instincts. Of course, he’s also stuck behind arguably the best middle linebacker in the NFL in Bobby Wagner. That’s, um, ungood.
10.) Sione Takitaki – ILB, Cleveland Browns: The Browns surprised many by taking the BYU linebacker in the third round. Takitaki is a punishing hitter who plays like his hair’s on fire, but the range needed for a three-down role doesn’t appear to be in his toolkit.
Defensive Backs
1.) Johnathan Abram – S, Oakland Raiders: A physical strong safety with plus speed playing behind one of the weakest linebacker groups in the NFL on a defense that will be on the field a lot in 2019. If that’s not the recipe for IDP success, I don’t know what is.
2.) Darnell Savage – S, Green Bay Packers: Savage was the first safety drafted in 2019 after peeling off a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine. The key to his IDP success will be role and snaps closer to the line of scrimmage.
3.) Juan Thornhill – S, Kansas City Chiefs: Thornhill’s a physical “box” safety who impressed at the scouting combine with a 4.42-second 40-yard dash. The youngster has a good chance to be Kansas City’s Week 1 starter at strong safety.
4.) Marquise Blair - S, Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks surprised some by taking the hard-hitting Blair in Round 2, and early indications are he’ll be afforded an opportunity to earn a significant defensive role right off the bat.
5.) Nasir Adderley – S, Los Angeles Chargers: Adderley’s more deep safety than box presence, so he’s going to be more big-play reliant. But he’s also quite possibly going to open 2019 as the starter on the back end opposite Derwin James.
6.) Taylor Rapp – S, Los Angeles Rams: Rapp’s a versatile safety with the ability to move between box and high looks—a trait that’s sought after in today’s NFL. But with Eric Weddle and John Johnson ahead of him on the depth chart, early snaps could be an issue.
7.) Byron Murphy – CB, Arizona Cardinals: Murphy’s a physical, ball-hawking man corner whose skill-set should equate well to fantasy production. If he starts opposite Patrick Peterson, he could also be an excellent “rookie corner” rule candidate.
8.) Chauncey Gardner-Johnson – S, New Orleans Saints: Gardner-Johnson is something of a “hybrid” type capable of playing both free safety and some slot corner. There’s some fantasy upside here, but both role and early snap counts are question marks.
9.) Rock Ya-Sin – CB, Indianapolis Colts: Ya-Sin is one of the most physical corners in this class—he’s not even a little bit shy about getting dirty in run support. If he carves out a significant role early in his rookie season, he has a good shot at posting solid tackle production.
10.) Deandre Baker – CB, New York Giants: Baker was the third of New York’s Round 1 picks, and arguably the best of the lot. He’s a talented young cornerback to be sure, but whether that will equate to early fantasy production is no sure thing.
Top 25 IDP Rookies Overall
- Devin White – ILB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Devin Bush – ILB, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Nick Bosa – DE, San Francisco 49ers
- Clelin Ferrell – DE, Oakland Raiders
- Brian Burns – DE, Carolina Panthers
- Ed Oliver – DT, Buffalo Bills
- Johnathan Abram – S, Oakland Raiders
- Darnell Savage – S, Green Bay Packers
- Josh Allen – DE, Jacksonville Jaguars
- Quinnen Williams – DT, New York Jets
- Germaine Pratt – OLB, Cincinnati Bengals
- Juan Thornhill – S, Kansas City Chiefs
- Marquise Blair – S, Seattle Seahawks
- Montez Sweat – OLB, Washington Redskins
- Mack Wilson – ILB, Cleveland Browns
- Rashan Gary – DE, Green Bay Packers
- Nasir Adderley – S, Los Angeles Chargers
- Jerry Tillery – DT, Los Angeles Chargers
- Taylor Rapp – S, Los Angeles Rams
- Bobby Okereke – ILB, Indianapolis Colts
- Jahlani Tavai – ILB, Detroit Lions
- Chase Winovich – DE, New England Patriots
- Jeffery Simmons – DT, Tennessee Titans
- Byron Murphy – CB, Arizona Cardinals
- Te’Von Coney – ILB, Oakland Raiders
