PROFILES
Budda Baker – S – ARIZONA CARDINALS
Budda Baker stands 5’10” and weight 195 lbs. and fits the mold of a prototypical NFL safety. Baker, who is 24 years old, was selected 2.04 out of Washington in the 2017 draft. Baker ran a 4.45 forty-yard dash, has a 91st percentile agility score, but a 7th percentile burst score (per playerprofiler.com)
Tyrann “Honey-Badger” Mathieu – S – KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
The Honey-Badger is 28 years old, picked out of LSU in 2013 as the 3.07 selection. As does Baker, Honey-badger stands 5’10” and 195 lbs. and looks the part of an NFL superstar. Mathieu ran a 4.5 forty-yard dash, has a 78th percentile agility score, and a 22nd percentile burst score. (per playerprofiler.com)
Both players were ranked in the NFL.com Top 100 players of 2020. Mathieu coming in at 39th and Baker squeaking in at 97th.
PROS
Budda Baker has been a tackling machine since joining the NFL. In his three seasons as a pro, Baker has racked up 323 combined tackles. That’s over 107 tackles per season, all while missing two games folks! As mentioned in the profile section above, Baker is only 24 years old. Barring injury, the Cardinals stud is in line for multiple years of high-end production.
Tyrann Mathieu is a playmaker at every level of defense. Averaging over 80 tackles per year since 2017, the Kansas City star has also accrued six sacks and eight interceptions over those past three years. Mathieu also has two more years left on his contract, so his place in Kansas City looks secure.
CONS
Tackling comes naturally to Baker, but pass defense is not his forte. In fact, Baker has yet to register an interception in his 46 game career. Additionally, Baker is about to play out the final year of his rookie contract, which leaves his future in Arizona in doubt.
Mathieu is 28 years old, meaning his career has eclipsed its apex. Mathieu has also had shoulder and knee injuries among other ailments in his career, which has cost him 14 games over his seven years in the NFL.
STATISTICS
Budda Baker
| Year | Age | Tm | G | GS | Int | PD | FF | Sk | Comb | Solo | Ast | TFL |
| 2017 | 21 | ARI | 16 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 74 | 58 | 16 | 3 |
| 2018 | 22 | ARI | 14 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 102 | 78 | 24 | 8 |
| 2019 | 23 | ARI | 16 | 16 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0.5 | 147 | 104 | 43 | 7 |
| Career | 46 | 36 | 0 | 14 | 4 | 3.5 | 323 | 240 | 83 | 18 |
Tyrann Mathieu
| Year | Age | Tm | G | GS | Int | PD | FF | Sk | Comb | Solo | Ast | TFL |
| 2013 | 21 | ARI | 13 | 11 | 2 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 68 | 65 | 3 | 6 |
| 2014 | 22 | ARI | 13 | 6 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 35 | 3 | 2 |
| 2105 | 23 | ARI | 14 | 14 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 89 | 80 | 9 | 11 |
| 2016 | 24 | ARI | 10 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 33 | 2 | 3 |
| 2017 | 25 | ARI | 16 | 16 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 78 | 70 | 8 | 6 |
| 2018 | 26 | HOU | 16 | 16 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 89 | 70 | 19 | 5 |
| 2019 | 27 | KAN | 16 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 75 | 63 | 12 | 3 | |
| Career | 98 | 89 | 17 | 61 | 4 | 9 | 472 | 416 | 56 | 36 |
FINAL ASSESSMENT
Budda and Honey-Badger are both amazing talents. Baker is younger and has the tackling pedigree. Mathieu has a longer track record and provides the big plays at all levels of the defense.
Your IDP scoring could impact which player scores higher. If your league puts a large premium on interceptions or sacks, Mathieu could be more valuable in your leagues. However, in most IDP scoring, tackles are king, which tilts the table towards Baker.
At the end of the day, I’ve got to take Budda Baker in this dynasty IDP comparison. I expect he’ll put up top-five tackle numbers for the next five-plus years in the league. His consistent 100 tackles per season production is incredibly rare. If your roster needs a star safety, consider Budda at or near the top of that heap in Dynasty.
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Looking for more help on the safety position for IDP leagues? Click here for a Safety Rankings Breakdown!
