With the NFL Draft complete, myself and some other IDP Zealots decided to do an IDP-only mock draft for the rookies. We gathered Saturday evening and ran through a 69-pick mock draft consisting of individual defensive players (IDP). The premise for this draft is that it was a position-specific league (i.e., you would start DE/DT/LB/CB/S) and that the scoring was position specific. This last point is very important because, in the position-specific scoring we used, defensive tackles score very well. For example, in this scoring system, three of the Top 10 and eight of the Top 20 IDP scorers were defensive tackles. So, if your league is not a position-specific league or doesn’t value defensive tackles similarly, then it is likely that they would be pushed WAY down the draft board if they were even drafted at all.
The IDP Zealots
@DynastyTripp – A Dynasty and IDP writer and ranker for Footballguys.com, as well as a contributor at TheIDPShow.com
@KBellf54 – An IDP writer for Footballguys.com
@Choppin_KC – Commissioner and Fantasy Owner Extraordinaire, co-host of the Devy IDP Grind, and one of the smartest College IDP minds I know.
@DocFFFN – A writer, ranker, and editor over at DynastyFootballFactory.com
IDP Madman – One of the best IDP talent evaluators for NFL potential and is starting a new website soon www.idpmadman.com
Perma – A well-informed owner who does a pretty good job at talent evaluation for IDP NFL potential as well.
@Justice_2318 (myself) – IDP Specialist at Campus2Canton and co-host of the Devy IDP Grind
First Round
| Round | Overall | Owner | Position | Player | NFL Team |
| 1.01 | 1 | Perma | DE | Will Anderson | Houston Texans |
| 1.02 | 2 | @Justice_2318 | DT | Jalen Carter | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1.03 | 3 | @DynastyTripp | NA | Skipped | Skipped |
| 1.04 | 4 | IDP Madman | LB | Jack Campbell | Detroit Lions |
| 1.05 | 5 | @KBellf54 | DE | Tyree Wilson | Las Vegas Raiders |
| 1.06 | 6 | @Choppin_KC | DT | Bryan Bresee | New Orleans Saints |
| 1.07 | 7 | @DocFFFN | DE | Myles Murphy | Cincinnati Bengals |
Anderson should be the first IDP off the board in the majority of drafts. No surprise that Jack Campbell is the first LB off the board, given his draft capital and landing what should be a full-time role Day 1 with the Lions. Jalen Carter being the #2 pick and Bryan Bresee at #6 are products of the position specific league with position specific scoring. Both Wilson and Murphy land in spots where they will be part of rotation at least initially, but they do have bright futures ahead.
Second Round
| Round | Overall | Owner | Position | Player | NFL Team |
| 2.01 | 8 | @DocFFFN | DE | Nolan Smith | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 2.02 | 9 | @Choppin_KC | DE | Lukas Van Ness | Green Bay Packers |
| 2.03 | 10 | @KBellf54 | LB | Drew Sanders | Denver Broncos |
| 2.04 | 11 | IDP Madman | DE | Felix Anudike-Uzomah | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 2.05 | 12 | @DynastyTripp | DE | Will McDonald | New York Jets |
| 2.06 | 13 | @Justice_2318 | DE | Isaiah Foskey | New Orleans Saints |
| 2.07 | 14 | Perma | DE | Keion White | New England Patriots |
Defensive Ends dominated Round 2, which should come as no surprise as it was one of the deepest position groups for this draft. There is some risk that Keion White could be classified as a DT on MFL (myfantasyleague.com), and he went a little high for my taste given the Patriots landing spot. The Patriots’ defensive system is generally not kind for fantasy purposes given the amount of rotation they employ.
I am personally not a fan of Will McDonald but it is hard to argue the draft capital he received. Isaiah Foskey, on the other hand, landed in a great spot with the Saints. After losing Marcus Davenport in Free Agency, they needed some defensive end help, and Foskey should certainly get an opportunity. Drew Sanders owners may need to be patient with him and the landing spot, as the Broncos seem to have Josey Jewell and Alex Singleton manning their primary linebacker roles. It will certainly be interesting to see how the Broncos use Sanders on the field initially. It is within the realm of possibility that Sanders gets classified as an EDGE if the Broncos plan to use him in the outside linebacker role currently held down by Baron Browning. I don’t expect that will be his position long-term but they could decide to do it for the short term.
Third Round
| Round | Overall | Owner | Position | Player | NFL Team |
| 3.01 | 15 | Perma | LB | Daiyan Henley | Los Angeles Chargers |
| 3.02 | 16 | @Justice_2318 | LB | Trenton Simpson | Baltimore Ravens |
| 3.03 | 17 | @DynastyTripp | DT | Calijah Kancey | Tampa Bay Bucaneers |
| 3.04 | 18 | IDP Madman | S | Sydney Brown | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 3.05 | 19 | @KBellf54 | DE | BJ Ojulari | Arizona Cardinals |
| 3.06 | 20 | @Choppin_KC | DE | Derick Hall | Seattle Seahawks |
| 3.07 | 21 | @DocFFFN | DE | Tuli Tuipulotu | Los Angeles Chargers |
Henley and Simpson come off the board as LB3 and LB4. There is not a lot of competition for Henley in Los Angeles and his versatility and athleticism should fit nicely in today’s NFL. Simpson, you will likely need to be patient with, as the Ravens have Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen in front of him. But the writing is certainly on the wall with Ravens declining the fifth-year option on Queen and acquiring Roquan last season as they were unhappy with the former first rounder. Sydney Brown seemed to be a divisive prospect among the IDP community with folks either loving or hating him. The land spot with the Eagles is certainly a position and could lead to some early fantasy production. The round ended with three defensive linemen that should all be in the rotation for some playing time with their respective teams, and with potentially bright futures ahead.
Fourth Round
| Round | Overall | Owner | Position | Player | NFL Team |
| 4.01 | 22 | @DocFFFN | S | Jordan Battle | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 4.02 | 23 | @Choppin_KC | DT | Gervon Dexter | Chicago Bears |
| 4.03 | 24 | @KBellf54 | LB | Dorian Williams | Buffalo Bills |
| 4.04 | 25 | IDP Madman | DE | Byron Young | Los Angeles Rams |
| 4.05 | 26 | @DynastyTripp | S | Brian Branch | Detroit Lions |
| 4.06 | 27 | @Justice_2318 | DT | Mazi Smith | Dallas Cowboys |
| 4.07 | 28 | Perma | DT | Keeanu Benton | Pittsburgh Steelers |
Two safeties went off the board this round in Alabama teammates Battle and Branch. Both go to situation that are a little murky in terms of immediate playing time and roles. But both should be rotational players at the very least. Dorian Williams comes off the board as LB5, but you could certainly argue he is LB2 in terms of immediate landing spot with the Bills. Williams should compete for the linebacker spot next to Matt Milano. The three defensive tackles in this round very likely go undrafted in a league that uses a generic defensive lineman designation, but they all could prove valuable in a position specific (lineup and scoring) league.
Fifth Round
| Round | Overall | Owner | Position | Player | NFL Team |
| 5.01 | 29 | Perma | LB | DeMarvion Overshown | Dallas Cowboys |
| 5.02 | 30 | @Justice_2318 | DT | Adetomiwa Adebawore | Indianapolis Colts |
| 5.03 | 31 | @DynastyTripp | DT | Zacch Pickens | Chicago Bears |
| 5.04 | 32 | IDP Madman | LB | Henry To’oTo’o | Houston Texans |
| 5.05 | 33 | @KBellf54 | DE | Nick Herbig | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 5.06 | 34 | @Choppin_KC | DE | Dylan Horton | Houston Texans |
| 5.07 | 35 | @DocFFFN | DE | Zach Harrison | Atlanta Falcons |
Two interesting linebackers went here with Overshown and To’oTo’o. Both should be in the mix for immediate playing time at least in a rotational row. One of my favorite sleeper fantasy picks (prior to the draft) was Adetomiwa Adebawore. I have discussed him on many occasions on various podcasts. Despite many folks labeling him as a Defensive End/EDGE, I felt fairly confident he would be designated as a Defensive Tackle for fantasy purposes. That would make him much more valuable in the type of league with position-specific scoring.
Sixth Round
| Round | Overall | Owner | Position | Player | NFL Team |
| 6.01 | 36 | @DocFFFN | S | Antonio Johnson | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 6.02 | 37 | @Choppin_KC | S | Ji’Ayir Brown | San Francisco 49ers |
| 6.03 | 38 | @KBellf54 | DE | Yaya Diaby | Tampa Bay Bucaneers |
| 6.04 | 39 | IDP Madman | DT | Bryon Young | Las Vegas Raiders |
| 6.05 | 40 | @DynastyTripp | DE | Tavius Robinson | Baltimore Ravens |
| 6.06 | 41 | @Justice_2318 | LB | SirVocea Dennis | Tampa Bay Bucaneers |
| 6.07 | 42 | Perma | S | Marte Mapu | New England Patriots |
A few interesting safeties this round in Johnson, Brown, and Mapu. You may need to be patient with Johnson as both Cisco and Jenkins are signed through 2024. The Jaguars could cut bait next off-season with Cisco and it wouldn’t be as big a cap hit as it would with Jenkins. Johnson could be in for a starting role a year from now assuming the Jaguars don’t resign Jenkins next off-season. In San Francisco, Gipson is a free agent after this coming season. Perhaps Brown could get some run if the 49ers want to use him at Free Safety. Mapu goes to the IDP Fantasy wasteland in New England where he could be a replacement for Adrian Phillips, who is set to be a free agent in 2024.
Seventh Round
| Round | Overall | Owner | Position | Player | NFL Team |
| 7.01 | 43 | Perma | CB | Devon Witherspoon | Seattle Seahawks |
| 7.02 | 44 | @Justice_2318 | DE | DJ Johnson | Carolina Panthers |
| 7.03 | 45 | @DynastyTripp | LB | Ventrell Miller | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 7.04 | 46 | IDP Madman | S | Jartavius Martin | Washington Commanders |
| 7.05 | 47 | @KBellf54 | LB | Owen Pappoe | Arizona Cardinals |
| 7.06 | 48 | @Choppin_KC | DE | Isaiah McGuire | Cleveland Browns |
| 7.07 | 49 | @DocFFFN | DE | KJ Henry | Washington Commanders |
We see our first cornerback go off the board with Devon Witherspoon, the physical corner from Illinois. Can Witherspoon follow in Sauce Gardner’s rookie fantasy footsteps? Probably not but in my opinion, he is the one of the better rookie corners from a fantasy perspective given his physical play. If Jartavius Martin gets cornerback eligibility, he could be an interesting fantasy option in cornerback required leagues. Owen Pappoe could get a shot at linebacker with the new regime and with them perhaps looking to use Zaven Collins and Isaiah Simmons in other roles.
Eighth Round
| Round | Overall | Owner | Position | Player | NFL Team |
| 8.01 | 50 | @DocFFFN | LB | Noah Sewell | Chicago Bears |
| 8.02 | 51 | @Choppin_KC | CB | Riley Moss | Denver Broncos |
| 8.03 | 52 | @KBellf54 | LB | Dee Winters | San Francisco 49ers |
| 8.04 | 53 | IDP Madman | S | Chamarri Conner | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 8.05 | 54 | @DynastyTripp | S | JL Skinner | Denver Broncos |
| 8.06 | 55 | @Justice_2318 | S | Daniel Scott | Indianapolis Colts |
| 8.07 | 56 | Perma | DT | Kobie Turner | Los Angeles Rams |
Another round of a couple of safeties, the two that interest me the most are Skinner and Scott. Skinner, with his physical style of play, could be a great fantasy asset if he gets the opportunity to play and is used more in the box. Scott is interesting as there would seem to be some opportunity for a safety to come in and earn some playing time for the Colts with Julian Blackmon in the last year of his contract. I wasn’t a fan of Sewell before the draft and going to a crowded linebacker room in Chicago certainly doesn’t help his cause.
Ninth Round
| Round | Overall | Owner | Position | Player | NFL Team |
| 9.01 | 57 | Perma | LB | Zaire Barnes | New York Jets |
| 9.02 | 58 | @Justice_2318 | DE | Viliami Fehoko | Dallas Cowboys |
| 9.03 | 59 | @DynastyTripp | DT | Siaki Ika | Cleveland Browns |
| 9.04 | 60 | IDP Madman | S | Jammie Robinson | Carolina Panthers |
| 9.05 | 61 | @KBellf54 | S | Christopher Smith | Las Vegas Raiders |
| 9.06 | 62 | @Choppin_KC | DE | Nick Hampton | Los Angeles Rams |
| 9.07 | 63 | @DocFFFN | LB | Yasir Abdullah | Jacksonville Jaguars |
The picks that stick out to me this round are the two defensive ends, Fehoko and Hampton. Both are going to rooms where there wasn’t a ton of depth so they could see the field as rotational pieces and get some valuable experience for the future.
Tenth Round
| Round | Overall | Owner | Position | Player | NFL Team |
| 10.01 | 64 | @DocFFFN | DT | Jacquelin Roy | Minnesota Vikings |
| 10.02 | 65 | @Choppin_KC | DE | Tyler Lacy | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 10.03 | 66 | @KBellf54 | DT | Colby Wooden | Green Bay Packers |
| 10.04 | 67 | IDP Madman | DE | Jose Ramirez | Tampa Bay Bucaneers |
| 10.05 | 68 | @DynastyTripp | DE | Karl Brooks | Green Bay Packers |
| 10.06 | 69 | @Justice_2318 | S | Jason Taylor II | Los Angeles Rams |
| 10.07 | 70 | Perma | DT | Scott Matlock | Los Angeles Chargers |
I like the Karl Brooks pick and his landing spot with the Packers is encouraging. The Packer don’t have a lot of depth and Brooks was a very productive player in college albeit at the G5 level. Brooks was also widely thought of as the biggest combine snub so perhaps he will come in with a chip on his shoulder and earn some playing time.
Final Thoughts
I hope this mock draft and article will help you prepare for your upcoming rookie drafts, by giving you a better understanding of the value IDP may possess after the NFL Draft. As I get some data with combined rookie drafts (offense and defense) I hope to share that as well for your preparation.
If you are interested in seeing more content from me, you can find it on the Campus2Canton site as well as on the DEVY IDP Grind Podcast (available on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts). You can also find me on Twitter @Justice_2318 in addition to the Campus2Canton Discord.
