The final fantasy football IDP installment for this month involves looking forward. So far this month we have covered IDP players to target via trade and the top five players at each defensive position under 25 years old. Now it’s time to look at the 2024 NFL Draft class to identify who fantasy managers might want to target in their 2024 rookie IDP drafts.

• Top 5 IDP Players Under 25: DL | DB | LB
• 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit
• 2024 NFL Draft Guide
• Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator

This class isn’t terrible from a talent perspective. However, it is far from elite. Therefore, fantasy managers should be cautious about getting too heavily invested. There are some great players, however, to make a play for in rookie drafts, if they fall into nice spots in the draft. Without further ado, here they are…

IDP Rookie Targets

Dallas Turner (EDGE – Alabama)

Dallas Turner is a likely top-10 pick in the NFL Draft this year and the first EDGE rusher off the board. Combine and Pro Day performances could impact that, though. Turner displays all the athleticism required to reach the elite tier of the NFL when it comes to pass rushers. He projects to be in the top 10th percentile with his 40-time, vertical jump, 10-yard dash and broad jump.

He needs to add size to dominate at the next level. However, all the traits are there if he can hold the additional bulk on his frame without seeing a noticeable drop in performance.

Expect Turner to make a splash as a rookie. However, there is no doubt he can become one of the elite pass rushers in the NFL if he lands in the right spot and is coached well because he has all the tools.

Byron Murphy II (DT – Texas)

It is rare for me to pound the table for defensive tackles in IDP. There isn’t a strong need for them as they combine for so few tackles and are essentially there to stop the run and attempt to collapse the pocket. Unless you get a game wrecker like Aaron Donald, who collapses the pocket and gets to the quarterback with relative frequency.

Enter Byron Murphy. Murphy has all the attributes to be a disrupter who can collapse pockets and have quarterbacks running for their lives. Murphy looks like the real deal with his burst and supreme hands. He will be a handful for offensive lines. So much so that they will have to make on-the-fly adjustments to handle him.

Murphy’s weakness is stopping the run. Therefore, I see him going to a team with a strong interior component already in place to wreck the game from the inside. I have not been this excited for a defensive tackle since Vita Vea. He will be a difference-maker in the on-field game and box score.

Edgerrin Cooper (LB – Texas A&M)

Edgerrin Cooper is the archetypal modern-day multiple-position linebacker likely to excel as the mic. He has quickness and sideline-to-sideline speed in spades. Cooper will cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time and rack up a lot of tackles in the NFL… in the right scheme.

Cooper would suit a team playing in a 4-3 scheme because he would be required to deal with the power run game. This is not his strong suit due to his slight frame. If given protection against the power run game, Cooper can instead focus on making sideline-to-sideline tackles and stopping large gains down the field from wide receivers, especially slot receivers.

I like Cooper a lot and he could produce 150 tackles a season in the right setup. However, he is slightly landing spot-dependent for his ceiling to be reached.

Payton Wilson (LB – NC State)

Payton Wilson represents the biggest risk of any player on this list. However, he also represents the largest ceiling. Wilson is arguably the fastest linebacker in this class, with a 4.43 40-yard dash time. This speed, mixed with his 6-foot-4, 233-pound frame means he can thrive in a mic linebacker role and stalk his prey from sideline to sideline.

However, the risk to Wilson is that he is not durable. He has already had two ACL tears and a serious shoulder injury. Typically, players with this kind of injury profile do not tend to last long in the NFL. There are exceptions, of course, however, Wilson will need to be one to succeed.

I love the ceiling of Wilson. He could be a tackle leader in the NFL and his speed makes him the biggest threat of any linebacker in this class. However, there is also a risk he could slide down the board and end up as a depth piece for a contender because of his injury history.

Wilson is landing spot- and health-dependant. I wouldn’t sink a huge amount of capital into him. But as a late-round flier, he’s worth the gamble due to his potential ceiling.

Tyler Nubin (S – Minnesota)

Tyler Nubin comes into the NFL as the heir to previous Minnesota legend Antoine Winfield Jr. While he might not be quite as good as the NFL All-Pro Winfield, he is still pretty darn good.

Nubin has a big frame for a safety and he loves to tackle. He will be disruptive and will rack up a good amount of tackles on the back end. He reads plays well and is equally good against the pass and the run. However, he is not quick. He is in the bottom half of this class when it comes to speed. That could represent an issue when it comes to transitioning as a starter.

This safety class isn’t flooded with talent. There are a lot of fairly decent contributors without the potential ceiling to make a difference. However, Nubin can certainly break his way into the conversation when it comes to talking about good-to-great safeties in the NFL. But it will not be overnight. Don’t expect Nubin to do too much in his rookie year. He will need to learn and develop, as he requires knowing the speed of the game to cut corners and make plays.

However, if he can develop well, he could be an IDP monster at the safety position in his second or third year in the NFL.

Dynasty Rookie Draft Advice

• 2024 Dynasty Superflex Rookie Draft Rankings: Fitz’s Top 40 Picks
• DBro’s 5 Dynasty Rookie Draft Busts to Avoid
• DBro’s Top 12 Dynasty Rookie Draft Rankings: Superflex
• Erickson’s Top Dynasty Rookie Wide Receivers
• Erickson’s Top Dynasty Rookie Running Backs
• Dynasty Rookie Draft Rankings & Tiers: Wide Receivers
• How to Prepare for Your Dynasty Rookie Draft: Feb
• 3 Overvalued Dynasty Rookie Draft Picks to Avoid
• 3 Undervalued Dynasty Rookie Draft Picks to Target

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Adam Murfet is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Murf, check out his archive and follow him @Murf_NFL.