It’s almost draft time, we have less than a month, and we are all itching to get our drafts going. For us that play IDP, we are ready to start seeing these defensive guys get some love, and I gathered a few of my friends to do an IDP Mock Draft. Let me introduce our cast of characters for this collaborative effort!
To see the First and Second Round – click HERE!
Pick #1 was awarded to the Hollywood Titan! He’s with IDP Nation and the Devy IDP Grind, the only college IDP podcast I know of.
Pick #2 was awarded to my good friend Justice! He’s from the Devy IDP Grind and also here at Campus2Canton.
Pick #3 was awarded to Kyle Bellefeuil, an IDP Contributor for Footballguys. They do great work and have a phenomenal team, Kyle knows his IDP!
Pick #4 was Dynasty Nerd senior writer Jayson Snyder. Jason is an all-around good guy, and one of the awesome team of writers at the Nerds.
Pick #5 was me, I’d like to think I know some things, and hopefully, I don’t steer anything wrong with my crazy picks.
Pick #6 was given to Joey the Tooth, also from Footballguys. He’s another fantastic mind and even has written a book!
Pick #7 was awarded to Mase Riney – from the IDP Army, Fantasy Pros, and the 5-Yard College Podcast.
Finally, Pick #8 is the man, the myth, the legend – Nino Brown – from Toilets to Titles. If he’s awake, he’s on a podcast somewhere. He’s a machine!
We rotated through two rounds with this group of guys making picks, and landing spots were grabbed from Chad Reuter’s recent four-round mock draft. To see the IDP-only mock draft the crew did, click HERE.
THIRD ROUND
3.01 Brian Branch, S Eagles
The Eagles are known for having a stud D-Line, but they get a piece here for the secondary that will allow them to be very creative on the back end. – Hollywood
3.02 Jack Campbell, LB Eagles
While I don’t particularly care for the landing spot for Campbell, he is my favorite linebacker from a fantasy perspective. Here is to hoping he can be their linebacker in the middle and gobble up the tackles that were vacated with the departure of TJ Edwards. – Justice
3.03 Trenton Simpson, LB Giants
With Sanders and Campbell off the board, I’m grabbing the last linebacker in my top tier. In this exercise, Simpson gets ideal first-round capital and would pair nicely with newly signed Bobby Okereke in New York’s aggressive scheme. – Snyder
3.04 Nolan Smith, EDGE Steelers
Much like my Tyree Wilson, who I selected earlier, Smith is a highly decorated pass rusher who winds up in a great landing spot as a pro. Smith wowed in the pre-draft evaluation process, earning a RAS (Relative Athletic Score) of 9.22, placing him in the top 8% of defensive ends over the last 36 years. With a first-round pedigree and TJ Watt anchoring the other end of the Pittsburgh line, I love Smith’s potential as a mid-third-round acquisition. – Snyder
3.05 Cedric Tillman, WR Falcons
Tillman is a possession receiver and much better than he’s getting credit for. Pairing Tillman with Drake London gives the Falcons several good options at WR, and Kyle Pitts makes this a dangerous, talented trio. Who will get him the ball? – Dwight
3.06 Myles Murphy, EDGE Saints
The landing spot with the Saints is not entirely ideal for Murphy. He has to compete with the likes of former first-round pick Payton Turner and 2022 breakout edge defender Carl Granderson. Still, Murphy has the size, athleticism, and polish that is already ahead of both of those players. Murphy now has the opportunity to learn from Cameron Jordan, while part of a potent pass-rushing rotation. – Joey
3.07 Noah Sewell, LB Lions
Sewell looks like an NFL-caliber linebacker that was made in a lab. Sewell is quite aggressive and fits best as a MIKE backer who can fill gaps. Sewell has no problem taking on offensive linemen, and he wins most of the time. The Lions appeared to have found their successor to Alex Anzalone in Sewell. – Mase
3.08 JL Skinner, S Buccaneers
Pairing Skinner with Winfield Jr locks up the back half of the secondary for a while and will allow Skinner to play in the box with Winfield in coverage. Eating! – Nino
3.09 Sam LaPorta, TE Dolphins
I’ll go TE here and take a very underrated LaPorta in Miami’s offense. It’s all about adding weapons for Tua, and LaPorta is a great pass catcher who is one of this classes better-blocking TEs. – Hollywood
3.10 Josh Downs, WR Ravens
He may be limited to the slot, but Downs is a BEAST in the slot! The man knows how to get open. With Todd Monken calling the shots for the Ravens’ offense, I trust that he will get the passing game rolling, and Downs will be a big part of that. – Justice
3.11 Darnell Washington, TE Titans
Washington is probably the most physically imposing offensive weapon in this draft. He checks in at 6’7″ and 264 pounds, while also registering a 4.64-second 40 at the NFL combine. With his traits and second-round draft capital, I’ll take a shot at Washington’s potential. – Kyle
3.12 Jalen Carter, DL Lions
Defensive tackles aren’t always the sexiest picks for IDP, but Carter is an absolute stud. And with the Lions selecting him sixth overall, I feel confident they’ve adequately vetted any off-field character concerns. Carter has game-wrecking potential and will surely be showcased as part of a suddenly emergent Detroit squad. Snatching up a talent of this caliber at the end of the third feels like stealing. – Jayson
FOURTH ROUND
4.01 Bryan Bresee, EDGE Jets
Bresee is a rare interior lineman that can create a mess of havoc and still be a force in run-stopping. He has the ability to develop into an impact guy but hasn’t shown it consistently. The Jets will unlock him. – Dwight
4.02 Eric Gray, RB Bengals
I badly wanted to draft one of the remaining edge rushers here, there were so many left with strong landing spots. The Gray hype train is starting to speed up, though, and I am incredibly intrigued by his landing spot. Joe Mixon has had a terrible offseason, and the Bengals may see it in their best interest to let Mixon move on. Samaje Perine signed with Denver in free agency, and neither Chris Evans nor Trayveon Williams has separated themselves to a potential starter role. Drafting Gray in the fourth round is decent draft capital showing interest in a potential role in the offense. – Joey
4.03 Isaiah Foskey, EDGE Rams
Foskey has a ginormous frame and is one of the most explosive in this draft class. Shows great footwork and the ability to adapt and overcome quickly against offensive linemen. The Rams don’t have a lot invested at the defensive end position, so I feel Foskey would get a good amount of reps to prove himself and improve this season. – Mase
4.04 Daiyan Henley, LB Cowboys
The Cowboys brought back Leighton Vander Esch, the perfect LB for Henley to learn from. Henley’s elite athleticism and motor lined up behind Micah Parsons will be a QB nightmare! – Nino
4.05 Will McDonald IV, EDGE Texans
Overlooking McDonald in this class because it’s so deep is a mistake. The Texans and new HC Demeco Ryans get a much-needed pass rusher as they start a new era. – Hollywood
4.06 Adetomiwa Adebawore, DT Eagles
AA is one of the most explosive defensive tackles in the draft and is a freakish athlete for his size. Playing alongside Hasaan Reddick, Josh Sweat, and last year’s first-round pick Jordan Davis should free AA from double teams and allow him to get pressure on the opposing team’s quarterback. – Justice
4.07 BJ Ojulari, EDGE Bears
The Bears EDGE group needs some help, and they land a good one here with BJ Ojulari. He is a skilled pass rusher, with an array of moves to go along with his speed and bend. With this pairing of situation and talent, Ojulari could make an impact early on for Chicago. – Kyle
4.08 Kayshon Boutte, WR Saints
Back to the offensive side of the ball for my final selection of this draft, I grab WR Boutte. He is a bit of an enigmatic prospect, with all the cache of an LSU wideout but a lot of questions about consistency and polish. I like the investment that the Saints have made in him by selecting him in the top 100, so I’ll roll the dice on a young, upside player who has the potential to form an ascendant receiving corps with standout Chris Olave. – Jayson
4.09 Antonio Johnson, S Steelers
I was hoping for Henley, but surprised Antonio is still on the board. The Steelers will allow him to play closer to the line and work more in the box, while All-World Minkah Fitzpatrick does his thing. Steelers are set at safety until 2028. – Dwight
4.10 Felix Anudike-Uzomah, EDGE Buccaneers
Anudike-Uzomah is my DE6 in this draft process. He has tremendous length, burst, athleticism, and strength for the position. His 2022 tape was phenomenal, showing vast improvement from previous seasons. The Buccaneers have an over-30-year-old Shaquil Barrett and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, a former first-round pick who has yet to show star, or even starter, potential. Anudike-Uzomah will push Tryon-Shoyinka for snaps and will eventually replace Barrett. – Joey
4.11 Jordan Battle, S Packers
Battle is a versatile defensive back who isn’t afraid to play physically on any level of the field. He looks like an NFL safety who can bang in the box and is a well-rounded player with room to grow. The Packers are in need of a long-term answer at safety, and Battle is one of the players in this draft who I believe is going to have a great career. – Mase
4.12 Tank Dell, WR Falcons
Giving the Falcons’ offense a legit WR2 behind Drake London is legit. Tank will open up routes for London and Pitts with his quickness and instant separation. – Nino
Be sure to check back in on Thursday for rounds three and four recaps, which focus much more on the IDP!
