Now that the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft has concluded, I want to look at the values of all the defensive players, their landing spots, and what that could mean for us fantasy owners. How do they fit the team that drafted them? What kind of talent do they have around them? Will they make an impact right away or will they need time to find their role on the team? I’ll break all this down for you and get you ready for your fantasy drafts.
The Washington Redskins selected defensive end, Chase Young (Ohio State), with the second overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. The best defensive player in this draft, and many might agree the best player period. Young landed in a great situation and will help form one of the best young defensive fronts in football. He should be the first rookie defender off the board in rookie drafts and will likely be a first-round selection. A high impact play player who will get you plenty of sacks. Defensive end is a position that fantasy owners covet, with high scoring players. I expect him to be as good or better than former college teammate, Nick Bosa. If you need help at defensive end, then this is the guy you want.
The Detroit Lions chose cornerback Jeff Okudah (Ohio State), with the third overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. After the Lions traded away Darius Slay, this was the pick they were expected to make. Okudah is graded as the best cornerback in this draft class and will start immediately. Typically corners are not drafted in IDP leagues, but rookie corners do tend to get picked on, and in fantasy, you want those opportunities. Think of Denzel Ward as a rookie, when trying to project Okudah’s scoring potential. If you need cornerback, I believe he’s a good late-round selection for fantasy owners.
The Carolina Panthers selected defensive tackle, Derrick Brown (Auburn), with the seventh overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. This was a bit of a shock to me, as I thought they wouldn’t pass on Isaiah Simmons, but a great pick nonetheless. The Panthers have a new head coach and he is rebuilding this defense. With a mix of youngsters from last year and some trades this offseason, he is now adding the missing pieces through the draft. Brown is one big piece and fills a big hole for them on the defensive line. He will start from day one and be an impact player for that defense. For us in the IDP fantasy world, this is a landing spot that we really wanted to happen. Defensive tackle is one of the hardest positions in fantasy to get high scoring from, but Brown will give us another potential star. He’ll provide a decent number of sacks and be a good source of tackles. A lot of IDP leagues have premium scoring for the position, which helps his value even more. His big-name will likely cause him to be drafted earlier than expected. I think he’ll be drafted in the early mid-rounds of rookie drafts.
Christmas came early for the Arizona Cardinals, as linebacker Isaiah Simmons (Clemson) fell right into their lap and they drafted him with the eighth overall selection. There was a case made by many that he is the best defensive player in this draft and most thought he would be gone at this point. Most projections had him going to Carolina at seven. The Cardinals get a Swiss army knife type player that will instantly impact their defense. His versatility to play multiple positions will be huge for everyone. Fantasy owners will fight hard to select Simmons, and like Chase Young, he’ll likely get drafted early. He’s a must-own player in all IDP formats and will play at the most important position, linebacker. He’ll provide a ton of tackles and a lot of big plays. A draft, plug and play dude! A late first to early second round fantasy pick.
The Jacksonville Jaguars selected cornerback CJ Henderson (Florida), with the ninth overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. The second corner off the board and fills a huge need for the Jaguars. One of the best coverage corners in this class and has a good all-around game, although I do have some issues with his tackling. He’ll be a starter right away and as I mentioned before, rookie corners get tested a lot. It’s those opportunities that make him valuable. Just like with Okudah, if you need help at cornerback, then he’s worth a late flyer in fantasy drafts.
The San Francisco 49ers selected Javon Kinlaw (South Carolina), with the 14th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. They traded away superstar DeForest Buckner, so getting a replacement for him was a must. Not only did it fill a need, but it was also a great value pick here for the Niners. Kinlaw will have big shoes to fill in trying to replace Buckner, but he is very talented in his own right. Will push for a starting job right away and at the very least should be a part of heavy rotation. My number two defensive tackle behind Brown and I can see him having a very similar impact. Fantasy league with DT premium scoring is where his value will be the highest. Kinlaw can rush from inside, so a decent number of sacks are possible. I believe he’ll be a middle-round selection in rookie drafts and will likely be taken soon after Brown.
The Atlanta Falcons traded up in this draft to select cornerback AJ Terrell (Clemson), with the 16th overall pick. A bit of a head-scratcher to me as I didn’t have as high of grade on him as some others did. With that said he does fill a big need for the Falcons, especially in this quarterback loaded division. Terrell was the third cornerback taken in the first round and will get the chance to compete for a starting role right away. He’s not as talented as Okudah and Henderson, taken before him. In IDP fantasy that is a good thing. That could mean he’ll be targeted more often and possibly be a better long term fantasy option. Only worth drafting if you have an extra pick to spare and have a need at the position. He will be a free agent option that you can pick up after rookie drafts are done.
The Oakland Raiders had the most shocking pick of the first round, where they selected cornerback Damon Arnette (Ohio State) with the 19th overall pick. This does fill a need for them, but he’s a player that I feel they could have gotten later. He is very athletic and has good ball skills. A little bit of a raw prospect, but has a lot of upside. Gruden will get him developed correctly and Arnette should be a good player. Just like Terrell above he’ll compete for starting position and should be targeted a great deal when in the game. His fantasy outlook is the same as Terrell’s, so I wouldn’t use a pick on him and just pick him up off waivers.
The Jaguars were one of the few teams that had multiple first-round picks in the draft and they wisely chose to use both to rebuild their defense. They chose CJ Henderson earlier and now select edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson (LSU), with the 20th overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft. This is a very interesting pick and possibly fills a need for them if they trade Yannick Ngakoue, at some point. One of the top-rated edge rushers in this class, but one concern for me was the lack of production. Has the tools to be a really good player in the NFL. In fantasy, how he gets classified will be the key to his value. He’s likely to be an OLB for the Jags unless they trade Ngakoue. For me, he is one player that I am avoiding as there are just too many uncertainties for him at this point. He’ll get drafted a lot higher than I would like and will probably be selected in the early to mid rounds of rookie drafts.
The Los Angeles Chargers selected linebacker Kenneth Murray (Oklahoma) with the 23rd overall pick of this draft. This fills a huge need they have been trying to fill for the past few years. An excellent range covering linebacker, who the Chargers will get on the field right away. They have a great pair of bookend pass rushers that will funnel a lot of tackle opportunities his way. I had him graded as a top 5 IDP rookie prospect before the draft and his landing spot solidified it for me. In the fantasy world, he will be one of the top rookie defenders selected in rookie drafts. Murray will be a tackling machine and that’s great for tackle heavy scoring formats. He will likely be a second to third round pick in rookie drafts.
The Seattle Seahawks selected linebacker Jordyn Brooks (Texas Tech), with the 27th overall pick in this draft. While they have the great Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright, they are getting older and their future replacements need to be found. He provides the Seahawks with some versatility, as he’s played both the inside and outside linebacker positions. He could kick back outside playing opposite of Wright, with Wagner in the middle. A really good tackler who will thrive for Seattle. In the fantasy world, he’s a good late-round flyer, with a high floor.
The Baltimore Ravens chose linebacker Patrick Queen (LSU), with the 28th overall pick of the draft. This is one of the better value picks of this first round. Queen was a player that I had graded as one of the top ten defensive rookies in this draft class. The linebacker spot has been a growing need for the Ravens over the last couple of seasons and now they get someone that can fill that void at a high level. A really good speedy linebacker with good range, that will start from day one. In fantasy, Queen couldn’t have landed in a much better spot. He’ll get to see running backs like Joe Mixon, James Conner, and Nick Chubb twice a year, which should mean plenty of tackle opportunities. I look for his fantasy stock to begin to rise now that he has a home. Fantasy owners may have to move him up their draft boards, in order to get him. I believe he will be a second to third round selection in rookie drafts.
The Miami Dolphins used the last of their three first-round picks on defense, as they chose cornerback Noah Igbinoghene (Auburn), with the 30th overall pick. He would be the fifth corner to be drafted in the first round of this draft. He has lots of upside and potential but will need to develop to become an effective corner in the NFL. Unlike the corners chosen ahead of him, he not a lock to be a starter right away. In fantasy, he’s not a player that you should be drafting, and even taking him as a taxi squad guy is a stretch.
The Minnesota Vikings are another team that had multiple first-round picks and with the 31st overall pick, they selected cornerback Jeff Gladney (TCU). He’ll be a huge asset for the Vikings secondary that has lost some pieces over the past couple of seasons. Outside of Okudah and Henderson, Gladney is the best corner picked in this draft. He’s a fearless dog style player, that will aggressively attack the ball. The Vikings will be able to use him at a variety of spots if they choose, but he’ll likely line up over the slot. In fantasy, this is one cornerback that I am willing to target in the late rounds of my rookie drafts. Gladney will be one of the better scoring cornerbacks in this class. Don’t be afraid to take him as a late-round pick.
Thanks for reading my article and if enjoyed it, you can read more of my articles at dynastyfootballfactory.com. You can also follow me on social media, on Twitter at Hollywood@DFF_DWin, on Facebook on my IDPNation page, on Reddit in the fantasy football IDP sub I’m user KingTitan1 and you can tune in each week and listen to the podcasts, IDP Nation that I co-host, on a number of different platforms. Feel free to hit me up with any questions that you have, as I’m always glad to help fellow IDPers. #IDPNation #IDP #IDPDevy
