This article is part of our IDP Analysis series.
Week 1 is nearly in the books, and just like the offensive side of the ball, there were both positive and negative surprises that require an adjustment of expectations for defensive players. We'll primarily focus on the positives, but of course, there were also some disappointments as well. Even if some of the highlighted options aren't worth picking up immediately, now is the time to get them on the radar.
Rising
Elliott clearly overtook Brandon Jones for the starting strong safety job, as he played all 81 snaps on defense. He turned that into 13 tackles. After a breakout season in Detroit last year, Elliott looks capable of sustaining that success. Meanwhile, Jones is clearly trending down.
While Elliott won out in a murky playing-time situation, Metellus emerged out of relative obscurity to secure a significant role on Minnesota's defensive unit. He was the team's primary nickel back, which helped him find the field for 77 snaps combined between defense and special teams work. As a point of comparison, he played a career-high 252 defensive snaps in 2022 and already has 57 under his belt after one contest.
Micah McFadden, LB 
To suggest that there was anything positive to come out of Sunday night's game for the Giants against the Cowboys may seem like a bit of a stretch. However, only Bobby Okereke out-snapped McFadden among the Giants' linebacker corps, and McFadden came away with 10 tackles. His 43 defensive snaps
Week 1 is nearly in the books, and just like the offensive side of the ball, there were both positive and negative surprises that require an adjustment of expectations for defensive players. We'll primarily focus on the positives, but of course, there were also some disappointments as well. Even if some of the highlighted options aren't worth picking up immediately, now is the time to get them on the radar.
Rising
Elliott clearly overtook Brandon Jones for the starting strong safety job, as he played all 81 snaps on defense. He turned that into 13 tackles. After a breakout season in Detroit last year, Elliott looks capable of sustaining that success. Meanwhile, Jones is clearly trending down.
While Elliott won out in a murky playing-time situation, Metellus emerged out of relative obscurity to secure a significant role on Minnesota's defensive unit. He was the team's primary nickel back, which helped him find the field for 77 snaps combined between defense and special teams work. As a point of comparison, he played a career-high 252 defensive snaps in 2022 and already has 57 under his belt after one contest.
Micah McFadden, LB
To suggest that there was anything positive to come out of Sunday night's game for the Giants against the Cowboys may seem like a bit of a stretch. However, only Bobby Okereke out-snapped McFadden among the Giants' linebacker corps, and McFadden came away with 10 tackles. His 43 defensive snaps topped his workload in all but two games in 2022.
Jessie Bates, S 
There's not much to say that we didn't already know about Bates' role in Atlanta. He signed a substantial contract with the team this offseason and delivered a three-turnover game in his debut (two INT, one FF). He did what the Falcons brought him in to do, but the performance is nevertheless worth highlighting.
Josh Allen, Edge 
Call it the contract-year bump or taking advantage of a rookie quarterback, but Allen looked particularly motivated to wreak havoc Sunday against the Colts. To be fair to Allen, he was among the league leaders in quarterback hits in 2022, and some of those pressures translated to sacks Sunday, unlike last year.
There was some debate about Gonzalez and his potential to excel in the NFL during draft season, which caused him to slip to the 17th overall pick. If his performance Sunday against the Eagles was any indication, the league will regret letting him slide. Gonzalez was one of three players to be on the field for every defensive snap, and New England used him in multiple roles, including a cornerback blitz that resulted in a sack. There may be some growing pains in coverage – he was aided by the rain against Philly's dynamic duo at wide receiver – but Gonzalez's pro debut should get strong reviews.
Drake Jackson, DE 
This is more of a watch-list type player. Jackson racked up three sacks in the 49ers dominating performance in Pittsburgh, but he clearly held only a part-time role. He could gain more playing time through performance or attrition, but if he does, he'll be worth picking up.
Falling
David Long, LB 
Long signed a two-year $11 million deal with the Dolphins this offseason, presumably setting him up for a significant role on the team's defense. As it turns out, he was surprisingly out-snapped by Andrew Van Ginkel 51-17. Perhaps it was a health or scheme-based decision, but the Week 1 reality certainly didn't meet preseason expectations.
Elandon Roberts, LB 
From a current Dolphin to a former, Roberts was the loser among the Steelers' rotation at inside linebacker. It was always presumed that Cole Holcomb would occupy one spot, while Roberts was projected for the other. That expectation was upset by the addition and ultimately the emergence of Kwon Alexander. All told, Roberts played 28 defensive snaps while Alexander saw 45 and led Pittsburgh in stops.
Jaycee Horn, CB 
A number of players suffered injuries in Week 1, some likely more substantial than Horn's. The problem specifically for Horn is that his career has been dominated by injuries early on. He's missed a total of 18 out of a possible 34 games through two seasons in the league and couldn't make it through the opening game of the new campaign without what appears to be a serious hamstring issue.
