I’ll keep this relatively short, as not to waste your time. Several weeks ago, over a series of weeks, I put out my initial IDP rankings, position by position. Now, a month later, plenty has changed, and to not update my rankings to reflect those changes would be pretty asinine. As always, happy reading, and I hope my rankings help you out at your draft table this year.

Linebackers

Rank Player Name Team Initial Rank 1 Darius Leonard IND 1 2 Bobby Wagner SEA 2 3 Luke Kuechly CAR 3 4 Deion Jones ATL 4 5 Cory Littleton LAR 5 6 Lavonte David TBB 6 7 Roquan Smith CHI 7 8 Blake Martinez GBP 8 9 Leighton Vander Esch DAL 9 10 C.J. Mosley NYJ 10 11 Myles Jack JAX 11 12 Zach Cunningham HOU 12 13 Tremaine Edmunds BUF 13 14 Jaylon Smith DAL 14 15 Devin Bush PIT 15 16 Devin White TBB 17 17 DeMario Davis NYJ 18 18 Khalil Mack CHI 19 19 Nick Vigil CIN 20 20 Alec Ogletree NYG 21 21 Christian Kirksey CLE 22 22 Joe Schobert CLE 23 23 Kwon Alexander SFO 24 24 Jordan Hicks ARI 28 25 T.J. Watt PIT 27 26 Jayon Brown TEN 29 27 Kenny Young BAL 16 28 Patrick Onwuasor BAL 40 29 Bradley Chubb DEN 30 30 Anthony Hitchens KCC 31 31 Zach Brown PHI 32 32 Tahir Whitehead OAK 33 33 Danny Trevathan CHI 35 34 Von Miller DEN 37 35 Todd Davis DEN 41 36 Eric Kendricks MIN 38 37 Wesley Woodyard NYJ 39 38 Kiko Alonso MIA 25 39 Raekwon McMillan MIA 45 40 Lorenzo Alexander BUF 42 41 Chandler Jones ARI 43 42 Fred Warner SFO 44 43 Matt Milano BUF 46 44 Haason Reddick ARI 47 45 K.J. Wright SEA 49 46 Benardrick McKinney HOU 50 47 Shaun Dion Hamilton WAS Unranked 48 Jerome Baker MIA Unranked 49 Jon Bostic WAS Unranked 50 Blake Cashman NYJ Unranked

Notable Changes:

I was a bit bullish in my initial ranking of Kenny Young at 16, and didn’t give Patrick Onwuasor enough credit at 40. Kenny Young is still one of my favorite LB targets this year, and I think he could still finish in the teens, but Onwuasor exists, like it or not.

at 16, and didn’t give enough credit at 40. Kenny Young is still one of my favorite LB targets this year, and I think he could still finish in the teens, but Onwuasor exists, like it or not. Injuries to Avery Williamson and Jarrad Davis bump them off the list entirely, and Mason Foster ‘s release (and bizarre inability to find a suitor) works likewise. As a result, Blake Cashman , Shaun Dion Hamilton and Jon Bostic jump up into the Top 50.

and bump them off the list entirely, and ‘s release (and bizarre inability to find a suitor) works likewise. As a result, , and jump up into the Top 50. With talks of him being a potential roster cut, Kiko Alonso drops down the list, and Raekwon McMillan and Jerome Baker get slight bumps. Even if the report doesn’t shake out and Alonso still makes the roster, the fact that the idea was there doesn’t bode well for his play time, especially given the young, talented linebackers he’s surrounded by.

drops down the list, and and get slight bumps. Even if the report doesn’t shake out and Alonso still makes the roster, the fact that the idea was there doesn’t bode well for his play time, especially given the young, talented linebackers he’s surrounded by. Trade rumors surrounding Jadeveon Clowney brought me to drop him just off the list (not that he was ranked highly before), purely because of the uncertainty in his landing spot, and how their scheme would affect his usage and fantasy viability. I’ll get back to you when (if?) he gets moved.

Defensive Linemen

Rank Player Name Team Initial Rank 1 Aaron Donald LAR 1 2 J.J. Watt HOU 2 3 Joey Bosa LAC 3 4 Danielle Hunter MIN 4 5 Myles Garrett CLE 5 6 Calais Campbell JAX 6 7 DeMarcus Lawrence DAL 7 8 Cameron Jordan NOR 8 9 DeForest Buckner SFO 9 10 Melvin Ingram LAC 11 11 Chris Jones KCC 12 12 Frank Clark KCC 13 13 Akiem Hicks CHI 14 14 Olivier Vernon CLE 15 15 Jonathan Allen WAS 16 16 Dee Ford SFO 17 17 Justin Houston IND 18 18 Nick Bosa SFO 10 19 Trey Flowers DET 19 20 Everson Griffen MIN 20 21 Marcus Davenport NOR 21 22 Carlos Dunlap CIN 22 23 Jurrell Casey TEN 24 24 Fletcher Cox PHI 25 25 Yannick Ngakoue JAX 26 26 Leonard Williams NYJ 28 27 Cameron Heyward PIT 29 28 Vita Vea TBB 23 29 Jason Pierre-Paul TBB 30 30 Kenny Clark GBP 31 31 Clelin Ferrell OAK 34 32 Damon Harrison DET 27 33 Jerry Hughes BUF 36 34 Geno Atkins CIN 37 35 Jarran Reed SEA 40 36 Ezekiel Ansah SEA 32 37 Brandon Graham PHI 38 38 Ndamukong Suh TBB Unranked 39 Da’Ron Payne WAS Unranked 40 Ed Oliver BUF 33

Notable Changes:



Nick Bosa suffered an ankle injury that could potentially hold him out of Week 1, and will likely limit his snaps for the first few games even if he plays. It’s minor enough to keep him in my Top 20, but be wary of a slow start.

suffered an ankle injury that could potentially hold him out of Week 1, and will likely limit his snaps for the first few games even if he plays. It’s minor enough to keep him in my Top 20, but be wary of a slow start. Reports are that Vita Vea is highly questionable for Week 1 with a knee injury, and could potentially miss multiple games. This is frustrating news for one of my favorite sleepers for 2019, but once he’s back on the field he’ll be a beast.

is highly questionable for Week 1 with a knee injury, and could potentially miss multiple games. This is frustrating news for one of my favorite sleepers for 2019, but once he’s back on the field he’ll be a beast. Damon Harrison sees a drop after the Lions add former Pro Bowler Mike Daniels to the defensive tackle rotation, giving the Lions a three-headed monster ( A’Shawn Robinson ) that will likely mean Snacks won’t be on the field for nearly as many snaps as he was in line for.

sees a drop after the Lions add former Pro Bowler to the defensive tackle rotation, giving the Lions a three-headed monster ( ) that will likely mean Snacks won’t be on the field for nearly as many snaps as he was in line for. Ed Oliver hasn’t blown coaches away as quickly as I’d hoped, though his later season upside is too high for me to drop him out of the Top 40 entirely.

hasn’t blown coaches away as quickly as I’d hoped, though his later season upside is too high for me to drop him out of the Top 40 entirely. Robert Quinn got hit with a double whammy of a broken hand and PED suspension, more than dropping him off my radar.

Defensive Backs

Rank Player Name Team Initial Rank 1 Landon Collins WAS 1 2 Jamal Adams NYJ 2 3 John Johnson LAR 4 4 Keanu Neal ATL 5 5 Budda Baker ARI 6 6 Jordan Poyer BUF 7 7 Harrison Smith MIN 8 8 Reshad Jones MIA 13 9 Shawn Williams CIN 9 10 Antoine Bethea NYG 10 11 Malcolm Jenkins PHI 11 12 Jabrill Peppers NYG 12 13 Bradley McDougald SEA 14 14 Tyrann Mathieu KCC 15 15 Justin Reid HOU 16 16 Johnathan Abram OAK 17 17 Kevin Byard TEN 18 18 Jessie Bates III CIN 19 19 Hasean Clinton-Dix CHI 20 20 Damarious Randall CLE 21 21 Earl Thomas III BAL 23 22 Minkah Fitzpatrick MIA 26 23 Clayton Geathers IND 24 24 Justin Simmons DEN 25 25 Derwin James LAC 3 26 Jaquiski Tartt SFO 27 27 Sean Davis PIT 28 28 Justin Evans TBB 29 29 Morgan Burnett CLE 30 30 Adrian Amos GBP 32 31 Eddie Jackson CHI 33 32 Kareem Jackson DEN Unranked 33 Tony Jefferson BAL 34 34 Ronnie Harrison JAX 35 35 Kyle Fuller CHI 36 36 Eric Reid CAR 37 37 Marshon Lattimore NOR 38 38 Quandre Diggs DET 39 39 Kenny Vaccaro TEN Unranked 40 Marcus Peters LAR Unranked

Notable Changes:

Derwin James will almost certainly be starting the season on injured reserve, holding him out for at least the first eight weeks. This ranking may be a bit aggressive considering, but when you do have him on the field (for playoffs no less) he’s one of the best in the business. Adjust where you draft him to how dangerous you’re feeling at the draft table.

will almost certainly be starting the season on injured reserve, holding him out for at least the first eight weeks. This ranking may be a bit aggressive considering, but when you do have him on the field (for playoffs no less) he’s one of the best in the business. Adjust where you draft him to how dangerous you’re feeling at the draft table. Per Reshad Jones , he will not be traded. The looming threat of a trade being gone, as well as T.J. McDonald being released, makes me far more willing to take on Reshad Jones this season.

, he will not be traded. The looming threat of a trade being gone, as well as being released, makes me far more willing to take on Reshad Jones this season. Juan Thornhill has overall been very disappointing to watch in the preseason, to such a degree that my confidence in him has waned enough to drop him from the list entirely.

has overall been very disappointing to watch in the preseason, to such a degree that my confidence in him has waned enough to drop him from the list entirely. Making my initial rankings I missed the news that Kareem Jackson would be starting at safety for the Broncos, and some kind Redditors let me know. I’ve moved him into the Top 40 accordingly.

(Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire)