Alas, we are nearing the end of the Top 5 Under 25 series for IDP (Individual Defensive Player) purposes. Although, with rookies soon set to join the fold, we may need to revisit this list sooner, rather than later. For now, let’s dive into the top Defensive Linemen under the age of 25.
The rules, as always, are as follows: each player must be under 25-years-old and they must be designated as a “DL” or Defensive Linemen on most fantasy sites that allow IDP. My list is largely influenced by FantasyPros Expert Consensus Rankings, but this list is strictly my opinion.
If you’re interested in my already published Top 5 under 25 Articles, please see the following links:
Let’s begin!
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5. Jaelan Phillips (DE – MIA): Age 22
Phillips is the only rookie to make this list, although there are a few from his class that could eventually usurp him (looking at you, Kwity Paye). Furthermore, he spent most of his rookie season as an outside linebacker. In 2021, he was listed as an LB/DE player, which means he was able to be toggled between the DL and LB positions on your fantasy roster. It’s possible that most fantasy football platforms simply remove his DL designation in 2022. For now, I’m going to analyze him based on his 2021 designation.
It took him a bit to get going, tallying only 9 tackles, 12 tackle assists and just 1.5 sacks in his first 8 games. However, he showcased his high-caliber potential after Week 8, when he put up 7.0 total sacks over the next 5 weeks. His last few games of the season were extremely lackluster, but he showed me enough in that 5 game stretch to prove that he’s got some delightful potential.
His long-term upside is pretty bright. He only played 603 snaps. Compared to players used similarly to him, he averaged more points scored per snap, notching a rate of 0.26 points per snap. Consider that other players who are considered high-caliber, like Joey Bosa, often turned in a lower rate of scoring. Joey Bosa, for example, scored at a rate of 0.23. As Phillips is utilized more in the Dolphins’ defensive game plan, his stats should see a steady rise, even if his pre-snap value decreases.
4. Maxx Crosby (DE – LV): Age 24
It feels like Crosby is older than this, but he’s still only 24-years-old. Aside from the occasional game that Johnathan Abrams plays in, the Raiders have very little going for them in the IDP realm. I also like Divine Deablo in 2022, but my top Raider is Maxx Crosby (by a lot). In fact, I’m actively targeting him in most Dynasty IDP leagues. See my article “7 Dynasty IDP Trade Targets” for more details on that.
Crosby led the league with “generated pressures” in 2021, with 108 total. Aaron Donald was second with 102. Nick Bosa was third with 88. All this is to say that Crosby is on the verge of breaking out. He’s got to translate those pressures into raw stats, but half the battle is opportunity, which he clearly has.
The young stud has moves, but he’s more than capable of simply bull-rushing his way into the backfield. If anything, he’s being held back by the general lack of talent on the Las Vegas roster. He’s currently the Dynasty DL15, but I have him as my DL9. He’s been consistent the past three seasons, tallying between 7-10 sacks each year, but that’s nowhere near his ceiling. With a new coaching staff in Las Vegas, I’m confident he’s finally about to take off.
3. Brian Burns (DE – CAR): Age 23
Like Crosby, Burns has been in the league for three seasons, but he’s still quite young. At only 23-years-old, he was taken 16th overall in 2019. Since entering the league, he’s seemingly been on the verge of breaking out. In 2021, he actually spent a good part of the year playing injured, so his totals fell short of his 2020 totals. That being said, he represents an absolute dynamo for a Carolina Defense that needs him to deliver.
He’s my dynasty DL5, which is higher than his ECR DL9 ranking. I expect his sack total to top 9, his tackles to reach an all-time high and for his injury issues to dissipate, allowing him to notch a career-high in snaps-played. He’s a leader for this ascending defense, received an 89.2 pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus (9th amongst all edge defenders) and was voted a Pro Bowl starter this past year. Again, all of that came while he played through an ankle injury.
2. Chase Young (DE – WAS): Age 22
Young was tough for me to rank here and I want to explain why. He’s not exactly proven himself to be the best of the best, especially since he was drafted 2nd overall in 2020 (oh, what could have been, Washington, if you’d just reached for Justin Herbert. Sigh.). His rookie year was fine. 7.5 sacks and plenty of pressures to make us all see him as the second-coming of J.J. Watt.
Year two was a different story. Yes, his season ended with a torn ACL in Week 11. However, his stats before that fateful week can be summarized as…disappointing. He only had 1.5 sacks up to that point. While his overall tackle count was on pace to eclipse his 2020 totals, he was not really getting it done for his fantasy football faithful.
I believe he’s going to have a similar season to his 2020 totals, especially since he may start the season on a snap count. Luckily, Young plays with a stout group of studs upfront for Washington, so he may find his path to sacks to be all the easier in 2022. Truth is, his ceiling is one of the highest in the league. He just needs more time to get healthy.
1. Nick Bosa (DE – SF): Age 24
Bosa finished 2021 as the overall 20th best IDP in fantasy. That’s incredible for any defensive lineman to do that, simply because the position is typically one of the lowest scoring. His value against the rest of the DL field was nearly invaluable. However, what he did in 2021 is even more impressive when you recall that he spent virtually all of 2020 with a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus. I’m no doctor, but going from being hospitalized to being one of the top defenders in the league is unfathomable.
He finished the season with career highs in tackles and sacks, notching 15.5 drive-wreckers in 2021. PFF ranked him as the 6th best pass-rush defender and gave him an overall defensive rating of 89.4. If compared to similarly performing players, Bosa was by far the best. Consider that the player with the second-highest sack total was Robert Quinn, who had 18.5. Bosa had a pass-rush win rate of 20.7%, significantly better than Quinn, meaning that Bosa has not really realized his full potential. He had the third-highest generated pressures in the league, behind Aaron Donald and Maxx Crosby. Two years prior, he broke the record for most pressures by a rookie.
Here’s the deal: Bosa is just getting started. He’ll begin 2022 without the burden of a fresh major injury and he’ll do it with the confidence that he’s far and away the best Defensive Lineman under 25 years old.
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