The defensive line is the thinnest of all the IDP positions and provides the most inconsistent producers in general. Some have Aaron Donald at the top of their overall lists because of the consistency with which he plays and that’s a very reasonable strategy. As laid out in the overall primer, defensive line is usually where I start my IDP drafting, and in any league with two or more DL starters, I want to have my starters by the end of Tier 3. Remember that most defensive linemen are highly rotational (Donald was the only DL over 90% of the snaps and there were only three others over 80%), so if you invest highly and aren’t getting the results you expected, as long as the snap percentage isn’t getting worse, your luck should change quickly.
DT required leagues — DT is deeper than I can really ever remember it (shout out to every team moving to multiple fronts), but it’s still not great. If your league does require a DT, I would suggest investing early and Donald would be at the top of my list.
Rookies — This rookie class was one of the best in recent memory for top-end DL talent. I would compare DL to TEs as rookies in that earning time is more difficult because the learning curve can be massive.
The defensive line is the thinnest of all the IDP positions and provides the most inconsistent producers in general. Some have Aaron Donald at the top of their overall lists because of the consistency with which he plays and that’s a very reasonable strategy. As laid out in the overall primer, defensive line is usually where I start my IDP drafting, and in any league with two or more DL starters, I want to have my starters by the end of Tier 3. Remember that most defensive linemen are highly rotational (Donald was the only DL over 90% of the snaps and there were only three others over 80%), so if you invest highly and aren’t getting the results you expected, as long as the snap percentage isn’t getting worse, your luck should change quickly.
DT required leagues — DT is deeper than I can really ever remember it (shout out to every team moving to multiple fronts), but it’s still not great. If your league does require a DT, I would suggest investing early and Donald would be at the top of my list.
Rookies — This rookie class was one of the best in recent memory for top-end DL talent. I would compare DL to TEs as rookies in that earning time is more difficult because the learning curve can be massive.
Tier 1
Aaron Donald (DT – LAR), Myles Garrett (DE – CLE), Cam Heyward (DT – PIT)
The only three I would bet to score the most points along the line in tackle-heavy formats. These guys mix high tackle totals with sacks and big plays. Donald forced and recovered four fumbles, Garrett was second in the NFL in QB hits and scored a TD, and Heyward swatted nine balls and pulled one in.
Tier 1 target – Heyward. I’m a homer and he’s the cheapest.
Tier 2
Josh Allen (DE – JAC), Nick Bosa (DE – SF), Joey Bosa (DE – LAC), Sam Hubbard (DE – CIN), Danielle Hunter (DE – MIN), Cameron Jordan (DE – NO), Robert Quinn (DE – CHI), Chase Young (DE – WAS)
This group is the bunch that I think can be the top DL scorer in 2022. This group gives us a solid floor of 50 tackles with a high sack total. Six of the eight here scored over 100 points last season and the two that didn’t (Hunter and Young) were dealing with injuries.
Tier 2 target – Josh Allen. The Jags should play much better overall, which will give Allen more opportunities to get after the QB.
Riskiest Tier 2 Investment – Robert Quinn. There’s built-in regression in his cost but probably not enough to justify his current price.
Tier 3
Jonathan Allen (DT – WAS), DeForest Buckner (DT – IND), Brian Burns (DE – CAR), Maxx Crosby (DE – LV), Marcus Davenport (DE – NO), Alex Highsmith (DE – PIT), Aidan Hutchinson (DE – DET), Christian Wilkins (DT – MIA), Leonard Williams (DT – NYG)
This tier has the high-upside sack total guys in Burns, Crosby, and Hutch mixed in with the safest high-floor guys left on the board. Wilkins led all DL in tackles last season with 90 and the rest of the group combined to get at least 60 tackles and six sacks last year and look to do the same this season.
Tier 3 target – Christian Wilkins. Especially for leagues that require DTs. Wilkins is not only one of my favorite defensive players to watch, but he’s always around the ball and I expect him to continue to improve.
Riskiest Tier 3 Investment – Brian Burns. Burns has a lot of helium now and he is great, but I’m a little worried about the Panthers as a whole and losing Reddick certainly doesn’t help their DL.
Tier 4
Arik Armstead (DT – SF), Jonathan Greenard (DE – HOU), Javon Hargrave (DT – PHI), Charles Harris (DE – DET), Trey Hendrickson (DE – CIN), Jermaine Johnson (DE – NYJ), Chandler Jones (DE – ARI), DeMarcus Lawrence (DE – DAL), Emmanuel Ogbah (DE – MIA), Azeez Ojulari (DE – NYG), Kayvon Thibodeaux (DE – NYG)
This tier is similar to the previous one, but I feel like this group has a bit of a lower floor than the previous one. Lawrence has the highest ceiling of the group by a decent amount but missed most of the season with a foot injury and only played seven games (his pick-six was over 10% of his entire point total). The ceiling is very high on these guys and they can take over a game and swing a week, but they are a little less consistent than the previous group.
Tier 4 target – Demarcus Lawrence. At this point, it’s all about upside to me, and Lawrence has the most. The injury potential isn’t the best, but I’ll take that risk here.
Riskiest Tier 4 Investment – Javon Hargrave. Grave Digger had his best statistical year in 2021 and Jordan Davis could help him be even better, but I worry about how the rotation of Hargrave, Cox, and last year’s third-round pick, Milton Williams.
Tier 5
Zach Allen (DT – ARI), Bradley Chubb (DE – DEN), John Franklin-Myers (DE – NYJ), Brandon Graham (DE – PHI), Shelby Harris (DT – SEA), Austin Johnson (DT – LAC), Chris Jones (DT – KC), George Karlaftis (DE – KC), Yannick Ngakoue (DE – IND), Odafe Oweh (DE – BAL), Kwity Paye (DE – IND), Jaelan Phillips (DE – MIA), Gregory Rousseau (DE – BUF), Jeffery Simmons (DT – TEN), Montez Sweat (DE – WAS), Travon Walker (DE – JAC), J.J. Watt (DT – ARI), Quinnen Williams (DT – NYJ)
This tier is a big mix. There are rookies and second-year edge rushers with way more upside than this tier, but those guys can also have problems breaking into the rotation if they struggle early. Watt was obviously the unanimous No. 1 IDP player for a big stretch of his career, but those days are over for him it seems. Graham is coming off an injury and has a bigger floor than he usually would because of that, and the DTs are great for their value. But if you can draft any DL, edge rushers are the way to go.
Tier 5 target – Jaelan Phillips. Last season was up and down for Phillips and he admitted that he wasn’t at his best, but I’m excited about his potential. The majority of his value came from sacks, and while they did bring in Melvin Ingram for competition, I’m banking on his development from Year 1 to Year 2.
Riskiest Tier 5 investment – J.J. Watt. Watt is still one of the best players in the league when healthy, but he’s missed 18 games the last three seasons and had one game over 10 points last season. In the other six games, he scored 3.25 or lower in standard scoring.
Deep Targets to take a shot on
Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (DE – TB) – He’s taking over JPP’s spot in TB and should see a significant increase in snaps.
Yetur Gross-Matos (DE – CAR) – Matos looked much better in his second season as a rotational edge rusher, and with Reddick gone, he’ll compete with Marquis Haynes for snaps.
Carl Lawson (DE – NYJ) – Lawson is coming off an Achilies injury and his price will be very affordable. The Jets added so much talent on both sides of the ball that the defense should see more opportunities to pin their ears back and get after the QB.
A’Shawn Robinson (DT – LAR) – This one is more for leagues that require a DT, but Robinson offers a very high floor. He had nine games over five points, and if you waited to take a DT, he’s a nice option as teams will run his direction, away from Aaron Donald.
Sam Williams (DE – DAL) – This is a rookie dart throw, but I think that Sam Williams should earn a rotational pass-rushing job early and the competition behind him is lacking, so he could earn a decent role early in the season.
2022 IDP Defensive Linemen Rankings
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