This article is part of our IDP Analysis series.
RISING
Germaine Pratt, LB, CIN
Pratt appears poised to lead the Bengals linebackers in 2020, in which case he should be one of the top IDPs at linebacker. LB1 upside is definitely in play, both because Pratt might be pretty good and because the Bengals will have a lot of tackles to make. Pratt (6-3, 240) is a bit lanky but possesses 4.57 speed, which helps him play rangy and pile up tackles. He posted 104 tackles (10.5 for loss) and six sacks in his 11 games as a senior at North Carolina State, which led the Bengals to select him in the third round of the 2019 draft. Coach Zac Taylor offered emphatic praise for Pratt lately, and with only a trio of rookies chasing him otherwise (Logan Wilson, Akeem Davis-Gaither, Markus Bailey) it looks like Pratt could earn a three-down role. Considering he posted 76 tackles on just 443 snaps last year, Pratt has major upside if he goes over 900 snaps in 2020.
Logan Ryan, CB/S, NYG
The reason for Ryan's value boost is pretty simple: he's finally on a team. Ryan was selling himself as a safety in free agency, but it's not clear how singularly the Giants think of him as one. Even if the Giants would prefer to keep Ryan at corner, they can use him at safety in the meantime with rookie second-round pick Xavier McKinney out with a broken foot. The Giants secondary is going
RISING
Germaine Pratt, LB, CIN
Pratt appears poised to lead the Bengals linebackers in 2020, in which case he should be one of the top IDPs at linebacker. LB1 upside is definitely in play, both because Pratt might be pretty good and because the Bengals will have a lot of tackles to make. Pratt (6-3, 240) is a bit lanky but possesses 4.57 speed, which helps him play rangy and pile up tackles. He posted 104 tackles (10.5 for loss) and six sacks in his 11 games as a senior at North Carolina State, which led the Bengals to select him in the third round of the 2019 draft. Coach Zac Taylor offered emphatic praise for Pratt lately, and with only a trio of rookies chasing him otherwise (Logan Wilson, Akeem Davis-Gaither, Markus Bailey) it looks like Pratt could earn a three-down role. Considering he posted 76 tackles on just 443 snaps last year, Pratt has major upside if he goes over 900 snaps in 2020.
Logan Ryan, CB/S, NYG
The reason for Ryan's value boost is pretty simple: he's finally on a team. Ryan was selling himself as a safety in free agency, but it's not clear how singularly the Giants think of him as one. Even if the Giants would prefer to keep Ryan at corner, they can use him at safety in the meantime with rookie second-round pick Xavier McKinney out with a broken foot. The Giants secondary is going to have to make a ton of tackles this year, and Ryan could be one of their leading producers in the category.
Marcus Maye, S, NYJ
Maye is dealing with a calf issue at the moment, and that injury certainly bears monitoring. It's believed to be minor at the moment, though – knock on wood – and if Maye is fine for Week 1 then he likely has a breakout IDP season incoming. As New York Daily News writer Charles McDonald reports, Maye is expected to take up the box safety role previously played by the since-traded Jamal Adams. Maye played the centerfielder role when Adams was on the team, but it should be Bradley McDougald who's stuck with that downfield, coverage-oriented role going forward. After posting roughly 70 tackles per 1,000 snaps over the last three years, in 2020 Maye will be a candidate to hunt for triple-digit tackles in the role where Adams produced about 91 tackles per 1,000 snaps over the last two years.
Neville Hewitt, (3-4) ILB, NYJ
Patrick Onwuasor (knee) is expected back eventually but for now he'll miss at least 4-to-5 weeks with a knee injury. Even when he returns Onwuasor should be more of a problem for Blake Cashman than Hewitt. Both Hewitt and Cashman are running with the Jets starters while Onwuasor is out, but Hewitt might have the upper hand over Cashman after playing well in 12 games last year, making 75 tackles and three sacks in 779 snaps. Both Hewitt and Cashman are notably playing ahead of Avery Williamson, who was once expected to start next to C.J. Mosley for the Jets.
Alton Robinson, DE, SEA
Robinson is still something of a long shot as a rookie fifth-round pick , but his snap count could be creeping upward as the Seahawks deal with injuries at defensive end. Rookie second-round pick Darrell Taylor seems unlikely to contribute anytime soon, Branden Jackson might have suffered a career-ending injury and Benson Mayowa is missing practice with some undisclosed issue. Mayowa plays a restricted snap count even when he's healthy, and the pair of Bruce Irvin and Rasheem Green probably only project for about 1,200 snaps between them. Robinson (6-3, 264) is densely built and athletic, boasting a 4.69-second 40, 35.5-inch vertical and 119-inch broad jump. Robinson has earned rave reviews in training camp and posted 26.5 tackles for loss over his final two collegiate seasons.
FALLING
Derwin James, S, LAC
In one of the most embittering recent cases of NFL injury, James suffered a season-ending meniscus injury that will cost him basically his second season in a row after missing all but five games in 2019. James is a clear All-Decade type of talent and his injury luck the last two years has been disheartening and infuriating. Nasir Adderley will have to join the starting lineup now, though The Athletic writer Daniel Popper expects Rayshawn Jenkins to play the more IDP-friendly strong safety role, leaving Adderley at the less enviable free safety spot.
Todd Davis, ILB, DEN
The Broncos signed Mark Barron, which is very bad news for a guy like Davis. A limited run-stopping specialist, Davis posted nearly 10 tackles per game last year due to the Broncos lacking any substitution options. Not only is Barron a substitution option, he might be a threat to take Davis' starting job away at some point, especially if Davis keeps suffering from the calf injury that currently has him missing practice. Davis was an LB1 last year in IDP leagues but he might fall outside of the top 25 at linebacker in 2020.
Fred Warner, LB, SF
Warner was added to the COVID reserve list Monday, meaning he was either exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID or he did himself. Warner is a better real-life linebacker than he is an IDP one – he's so good in coverage he loses out on tackle opportunities that lesser linebackers get on completed passes – but he's also quite good as an IDP, posting 242 tackles over the last two years. If Warner misses any time the 49ers might turn to Dre Greenlaw as his primary replacement.
