Known as an NFL draft guy, it was easy for me to dive deep into the rankings of rookie defenders for fantasy football. With so many moving parts across the league, there are a lot of new faces in the league. Some of these players could take the league by storm and others could take years to develop, if they develop at all. That said, here are 10 rookies to draft in your Individual Defensive Player (IDP) leagues.
- 2024 Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2024 Best Ball Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
IDP Rookie Targets
Byron Murphy II (iDL – SEA)
One of the most athletic and dynamic defenders in the 2024 NFL Draft was Byron Murphy out of Texas. Last season he led all interior defensive linemen with a 12.7% pressure rate. It led to 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. His lateral movement skills are impressive and he gets to play in a system that already features Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed and Dre’Mont Jones. Add in the fact Mike Macdonald is his coach and I think Murphy could be an immediate impact player for the Seahawks.
Edgerrin Cooper (LB – GB)
In the 2024 NFL Draft, Edgerrin Cooper was one of my favorite players in the entire process. Meanwhile, he was my top-ranked linebacker so I may be a bit biased. That said, there’s a huge opportunity for Cooper to play early and often in the Packers’ defense. His ability to blitz doesn’t just help him stop the run but it also contributes to rushing the passer. After all, he had 17 tackles for loss and eight sacks last season. While he’ll need to work on his pad level, I do love the way he changes direction and can play anywhere in the box.
Junior Colson (LB – LAC)
We all knew Jim Harbaugh was going to draft at least one Michigan player when he took over as head coach of the Chargers. That player was Junior Colson, which could say a lot about how quickly he sees the field for the Chargers. Keep in mind defensive coordinator Jesse Minter followed Harbaugh to the Chargers. Projected as a starting linebacker, Colson enters the NFL with 36 college starts under his belt. He’s compiled over 190 tackles the last two seasons and he should transition nicely for the Chargers’ defense.
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