IDP Rookie Roundtable: Defensive Linemen

Photo: Michael C. Johnson, USA Today Sports

The 2023 NFL Draft is still over a month away, and most colleges across America have yet to hold their Pro Day workouts. But with this year’s NFL Scouting Combine in the rearview mirror, we have a pretty good idea of how the Class of 2023 stacks up at each position.

There’s no question that landing spot matters greatly when determining the IDP value of rookie defenders—especially in the short-term. But it’s time for dynasty managers to start assembling their cheatsheets for the rookie drafts that will be upon us soon enough. To identify values to target, busts to avoid, and sleepers who could blast past their draft slot.

That’s what the IDP staff here at Footballguys will do over the next few weeks, with a series of three IDP Rookie Roundtables.

First, it’s Will Anderson, Jalen Carter, and a loaded class of defensive linemen.

1. This year’s crop of edge rushers might be the strongest position group in the entire draft class. Which rookie EDGE has the best chance of becoming an IDP stalwart?

Kyle Bellefeuil: The answer here is Will Anderson. Anderson has been an absolute problem at Alabama, racking up 152 tackles (80 solos), 48 tackles for loss, and 27.5 sacks over his last two seasons. Not only has Anderson been productive, but he's showcased a skill set that should easily translate to the next level. Anderson is not only a fierce pass rusher, but he's also a strong run defender and occasionally can be dropped into coverage in the flats and hook/curl areas. Anderson also packs a punch with his 6-foot-3 and 253-pound frame, displaying an alluring pairing of strength and athleticism. To say I'm excited about Anderson would be a drastic understatement.

Tripp Brebner: Will Anderson and Tyree Wilson will surely come off the draft board in the top ten. Each has a high potential to develop into a game-changing sack artist. An NFL team with a thin depth chart at defensive end could draft Myles Murphy later on Day 1 and deliver fantasy gamers the top-scoring IDP at the position. At 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds, Murphy is an NFL-ready traditional defensive end, a prototype in high demand. Murphy's pass-rush skill set needs more development than Anderson's or Wilson's. However, Murphy can immediately contribute in run defense. In the right line-up, Murphy has more Year-1 upside as an IDP than the light Anderson (253 lbs.) or raw Wilson, who showed limitations borne of inexperience setting the edge for Texas Tech in the pass-happy Big 12. Murphy has yet to perform athletic testing, citing a hamstring before the combine, and it seems draftniks are punishing him for it. Wilson didn't test either! Murphy may yet document enormous upside, as athleticism correlates more to success for edge rushers than for any other position.

Gary Davenport: Will Anderson will get plenty of run here, and rightly so—the Alabama star will probably be the first non-quarterback drafted. But while his prospects have faded a bit after he skipped working out at the combine, Clemson’s Myles Murphy is another player with the athleticism and skill-set to be an IDP difference-maker. A 6-foot-5, 275-pounder with reported 4.5 speed, Murphy piled up over 75 pressures the past two seasons and was excellent setting the edge against the run. If Murphy does well at Clemson’s Pro Day, he could be a top-10 pick.

Joseph Haggan: It's Will Anderson. He has scheme versatility to play off-ball if necessary, much in the mold of what Micah Parsons is. Like Parsons, Anderson is best used as an edge defender. He matches speed and incredible power into a slightly leaner frame, though he regularly showed no mercy in moving SEC linemen. He lives in the backfield, and his 2021 tape is some of the best I've seen en route to 101 tackles, 31 for a loss, and 17.5 sacks. His skillset translates.

Matt Montgomery: The answer is Nolan Smith from Georgia. Prior to his injury, he was leading the Bulldogs in the main categories that we need an edge rusher to be good at. Quarterback hurries, sacks, and tackles for loss. This is on a Georgia defense loaded with talent and arguably a better player on the defensive line in Jalen Carter. His combine was short but showed all I need to see with pass-rushing pro speed. If you can get consistent pressure in the loaded SEC, professional coaching at the next level should amplify this skill set, and that, for me, is enough to say Smith is the guy here.

2. The 2023 class of interior defenders may not be quite as loaded as along the edge, but it’s still a talented group. Georgia’s Jalen Carter is just about universally regarded as the most talented defensive tackle prospect, but outside of him, who stands out to you as a potential IDP star in the making?

Bellefeuil: Calijah Kancey is a defensive tackle prospect with intriguing potential, but he does come with some concerns. Kancey made waves at the combine by running a blazing 4.67-second 40 with an equally impressive 1.64-second 10-yard split. Kancey is an explosive interior penetrator who can generate serious pressure from the inside, as seen by his 17.1% pressure rate in 2022, per PFF. The issue with Kancey is his smaller build (6-foot-1 and 281 pounds) and lack of length with his 30-5/8'' arms. Kancey lacks the prototypical size and length to play on the inside but makes up for it by using his athleticism and leverage to slip and beat blocks. If Kancey can prove to be more than a situational player, he has some nice IDP potential with his ability to make big plays behind the line.

Brebner: The nation's former top overall recruit out of high school is being disrespected in the predraft process! Bryan Bresee dealt with serious and even unusual injuries and a family tragedy in the era of COVID. All of this limited his playing time and seemed to hamper his consistency. He demonstrated his enormous talent in dominant stretches anywhere between the C gaps. He fits what modern NFL defenses want in their interior linemen. He'll excel in a one-and-a-half gapping scheme, has the power to collapse the tackle in a two-gapping role, and is explosive enough to blow up plays in tight and bear fronts. The talent in this draft class will ensure that fantasy gamers land impact players in the third rounds of their respective drafts.

Davenport: The top three contenders to be the best IDP defensive tackle from this draft class have already been mentioned—it’s all but certainly going to be either Carter, Bresee or Kancey. I’m throwing my lot in with Bresee, who demonstrated the athleticism and explosiveness at the NFL Scouting Combine that made him such a prized recruit at Clemson. 6-foot-5, 305-pounders with Bresee’s blend of power and quickness don’t come along every day, and that skill-set opens up Bresee to play end on an odd-man front or kick inside. If he lands on a team that truly knows how best to use his impressive talents, the sky is the limit.

Haggan: Bryan Bresee is an interior lineman who has my attention. His college production wasn't eye-popping, but nine sacks and 15 tackles for a loss in 25 games is not bad from the interior. At the Combine he finished 8th or better in every category he participated in, including the fourth-fastest 40 time (4.86 seconds) and the second-fastest 10-yard split (1.71 seconds). He shows great strength and anchor to hold his gaps which shows a strong floor as a run-defender. His pass-rushing repertoire is limited, but he has great strikes with his hands, good strength, and long strides. Good coaching could make Bresee a beast.

Montgomery: Bryan Bresee feels like someone who has the measurables to turn into an absolute monster of a player if he can continue to improve. Standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing 305 pounds, who wouldn’t want that as a stalwart on the defensive line? At Clemson, he seemed to be a guy who was more a space eater than a stat compiler, but if given the right coaching, this can change. Like the old saying goes, “you can’t teach size.” Bresee has god-given size, but can he turn it into fantasy production? I’d be willing to take the risk on him.