The theme of the early stages of the 2019 NFL Draft wasn't difficult to discern—defense ruled the day. Yes, the No. 1 overall pick was a quarterback (Oklahoma's Kyler Murray), but of the top-10 pick, a staggering eight of those were defenders. More than half of the top-10 was defensive linemen.

It's that defensive line where the meat's at in 2019. Starting with Ohio State's Nick Bosa at No. 2 overall, the top-10 was littered with defensive linemen who could make an immediate impact, whether it's Bosa, Clelin Ferrell of Clemson or Houston's Ed Oliver.

It's another story where the off-ball linebackers are concerned. My top two rookie IDPs overall in 2019 are linebackers who went inside the top-10 (LSU's Devin White and Michigan's Devin Bush). But outside that duo, there isn't a single off-ball linebacker in 2019 with a clear path to the sort of every-down role that sets the stage for steady fantasy production in the early-going.

This isn't to say that there won't be another linebacker that comes from this class who goes on to shine as a rookie. But this is the weakest class at the position we've seen in some time.

We didn't see a safety come off the board until No. 21, when the Green Bay Packers selected Maryland's Darnell Savage. But there are some first-year defensive backs who landed in situations that set them up well from an IDP perspective.

Now that the introductions are out of the way, let's dig in to how the 2019 NFL draft sets up this year's incoming class of individual defensive players.

Before we do, a quick note. These rankings are technically for dynasty IDP leagues, but frankly in my opinion there isn't that much difference between the two formats where IDPs are concerned. Too much can change from one year to the next on a defense to plan too far ahead.

Defensive Linemen

1.) Nick Bosa – DE, San Francisco 49ers: Bosa's as NFL-ready as he is talented—a player who should slide into an every-down role at LDE right off the bat for the 49ers. He has the makings of being every bit the star his older brother is—maybe even better.

2.) Clelin Ferrell – DE, Oakland Raiders: The Raiders sent some eyebrows skyward when they made Ferrell the fourth overall pick. The 6'4", 264-pounder doesn't have the same IDP ceiling of some of the players on this list. But the snaps will be there for him from Day 1.

3.) Brian Burns – DE, Carolina Panthers: There was more than a little concern that Burns would wind up as a rush linebacker in a 3-4 defense. Now the bigger IDP concern is what kind of snap count Burns will see in 2019 behind Mario Addison and Bruce Irvin.

4.) Ed Oliver – DT, Buffalo Bills: I was tempted to rank Oliver even higher, as I think h's explosiveness and disruptive ability is tailor-made for making IDP hay. Comparing Oliver to Aaron Donald may be jumping the gun a little (or a lot), but there are some intriguing similarities.

5.) Josh Allen – DE, Jacksonville Jaguars: Allen's another "tweener" who hit the positional designation jackpot by landing in Jacksonville. However, his 2019 may be relatively quiet playing behind Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue. You're drafting Allen with an eye on 2020.

6.) Quinnen Williams – DT, New York Jets: The No. 3 overall pick by the New York Jets was regarded as the top prospect overall in this class by some draftniks, and maybe I'm sleeping on Williams a bit. But I fear that he's going to be a better NFL player than IDP option.

7.) Rashan Gary – DE, Green Bay Packers: It's possible that Gary will be re-classified as an outside linebacker, but I think the 6'4", 277-pounder will remain a DL. The question then becomes whether his athleticism and potential will ever equate to steady IDP production.

8.) Jerry Tillery – DT, Los Angeles Chargers: Tillery was something a gift for the Chargers at No. 28 overall—a talented young three-technique that fills a need for the team. He has the makings of a so-so weekly starter in DT-required IDP leagues.

9.) Chase Winovich – DE, New England Patriots: The instant that the New England Patriots drafted Winovich at No. 77, a name popped into my head—Rob Ninkovich. Don't be surprised in Winovich goes to become a similar high-floor DL2 in IDP leagues.

10.) Jeffery Simmons – DT, Tennessee Titans: Simmons will sit out the 2019 season after tearing his ACL in pre-draft workouts. But prior to that, Simmons was considered a top-10 prospect by many in the draft community. He could be s steal for IDP owners willing to be patient.