2021 IDP Rookie Review: Off-Ball Linebackers

Micah Parsons

Jason King Posted On February 3, 2022

Flash backward in time about ten months, and I remember being really unsure about what this rookie class would become. The questions at linebacker were numerous.

Micah Parsons would go on to have an All-Pro season, but maturity concerns were really weighing him down. Jamin Davis looked like a potential first-rounder, but he was really inexperienced with just one season of starter snaps at Kentucky. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah looked electric, but would he be able to hold up to the grind of an NFL season at 220 pounds? On the opposite end of the scale, could Zaven Collins be agile enough to play in coverage at 270 pounds?

It’s only been one season so we can’t be too confident in our opinions, but I think we gained some clarity on this somewhat-confusing group of rookies. I’ve attempted to rank and sort them by tier for dynasty purposes in this off-ball linebacker edition of the 2021 IDP rookie review.

If you missed the first two articles in this series, part one focused on the edge rushers, and part two took a look at the interior defensive linemen. The next and final article will hit on the safeties.

A disclaimer on data: Most defensive statistics are subjective, and I realize that most people prefer Pro Football Focus. But that’s not freely available, so credit in this article goes to Pro Football Reference – which uses Sportradar – for pressures (defined as a combination of hurries, quarterback knockdowns, and sacks), and missed tackle and passing completion data.

Tier One: Elite Assets

1. Micah Parsons, DAL

Drafted: First round, No. 12 overall pick (Penn State)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 23

Stats to know:

played in 16 games; 904 defensive snaps (84 percent)
64 solo tackles, 20 assists; 20 tackles for loss; ten missed tackles (10.6 percent missed tackle rate)
22 completions on 36 targets (61.1 percent completion percentage); three passes defensed; zero interceptions
114 blitzes; 47 pressures; 13 sacks; 30 quarterback hits
Trailed just T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett and Nick Bosa in pressures and quarterback hits
Three forced fumbles; zero fumble recoveries

He’s the one. I see just one elite asset in the IDP rookie class, and it’s Parsons, of course.

As a prospect, Parsons was not without his warts. Chief among those was a civil lawsuit that accused Parsons of hazing a former teammate. But he also had size and speed attributes associated with a prototype linebacker, with upside to boot: Parsons was an edge rusher in high school and converted to off-ball linebacker at Penn State. It seemed like a natural transition after he led the Nittany Lions in tackles as a freshman.

Flash forward to the NFL, and Parsons was impressive in both roles – so much so that many considered him in need of a permanent position switch to defensive end. He amassed nine-and-a-half sacks over a six-week stretch from weeks nine through 14; in three of those games the Cowboys were missing both Demarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory on the edge. The pass rush and big plays were what made Parsons so valuable from a fantasy perspective – in that sense he’s very similar to Devin White. Parsons literally lived in the backfield.

And while many rookie linebackers struggle in pass coverage to the point that they are reduced to part-time players, Dallas mostly let Parsons do what he does best: play downhill. The 13 sacks are not likely repeatable in a full-time off-ball linebacker role, but with Dan Quinn returning to lead the defense, Parsons is likely to again receive plenty of blitz opportunities even if he spends less time on the edge.

Tier Two: Current or Future Fantasy Starters

The linebackers in this tier have weekly starting fantasy upside as early as 2022. Depending on your depth they may be matchup-based starts or sits, but they certainly have value as dynasty IDP assets.

2. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, CLE

Drafted: Second round, No. 52 overall pick (Notre Dame)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 22

Stats to know:

played in 14 games; 598 defensive snaps (65 percent)
49 solo tackles, 27 assists; three tackles for loss; 16 missed tackles (17.4 percent missed tackle rate)
24 completions on 38 targets (63.2 percent completion percentage); four passes defensed; zero interceptions
38 blitzes; five pressures; one-and-a-half sacks; four quarterback hits
two forced fumbles; zero fumble recoveries

I don’t know that Owusu-Koramoah will ever play a true three-down linebacker role, but the speedy JOK showed that he’ll be a major factor on the Browns defense for years to come, assuming he can clean up his missed tackle rate. An uneven rookie season included a week six ankle sprain that caused him to miss three games, but he really came on down the stretch. The real question for IDP will be whether his role is one that is advantageous for fantasy production – and I’m somewhat dubious that it will be.

3. Nick Bolton, KC

Drafted: Second round, No. 58 overall pick (Missouri)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 22

Stats to know:

played in 16 games; 624 defensive snaps (60 percent)
70 solo tackles, 42 assists; 11 tackles for loss; four missed tackles (3.4 percent missed tackle rate)
36 completions on 45 targets (80 percent completion percentage); three passes defensed; zero interceptions
35 blitzes; eight pressures; zero sacks; three quarterback hits
zero forced fumbles; one fumble recovery; one touchdown

Normally I’d have a player with Bolton’s rookie accolades above someone with the output of Owusu-Koramoah, but Bolton’s defensive coordinator is weighing him down. Steve Spagnuolo’s reluctance to give consistent three-down snaps to any linebacker is the only real knock on Bolton, who led all rookies in solo tackles and assists. Even playing just 60 percent of the defensive snaps, Bolton finished the season as a high-end LB3 in 12-team formats. If we can get some additional volume in year two, we’re looking at a solid LB2.

4. Ernest Jones, LAR

Drafted: Third round, No. 103 overall pick (South Carolina)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 22

Stats to know:

played in 15 games; 440 defensive snaps (43 percent)
36 solo tackles, 25 assists; one tackle for loss; four missed tackles (6.2 percent missed tackle rate)
32 completions on 43 targets (74.4 percent completion percentage); four passes defensed; two interceptions
20 blitzes; three pressures; one sack; three quarterback hits

We all have a tendency to hang on too long to our preconceived notions of what players are. With Jones, I simply didn’t see a player in college who had the necessary speed to succeed in the NFL. I should have known my evaluation was off when Jones was drafted on day two by the Rams, an organization that has a good track record for making contributors out of defensive players who no one else is high on.

No matter your evaluation, Jones was one of the real rookie IDP surprises, and late in the season the Rams put their trust in him by making him their primary linebacker. Both Troy Reeder and Travin Howard are free agents this off-season, and even if one or both return on cheap deals, Jones looks set up for high-volume snaps for a few seasons.

5. Baron Browning, DEN

Drafted: Third round, No. 105 overall pick (Ohio State)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 23

Stats to know:

played in 14 games; 528 defensive snaps (60 percent)
32 solo tackles, 26 assists; two tackles for loss; five missed tackles (7.9 percent missed tackle rate)
27 completions on 37 targets (73 percent completion percentage); two passes defensed; zero interceptions
28 blitzes; one pressure; zero sacks; one quarterback hit

At the time of this writing, we’re still waiting to see whom Nathaniel Hackett will hire as Denver’s new defensive coordinator, but all signs point to the Broncos joining the trend of teams who favor single-linebacker packages. Browning has the athletic traits of a do-it-all linebacker, and proved to be the Broncos’ best option at the position for the final two months of the season. Denver will for sure sign or draft competition, but I saw enough from Browning to give me confidence that the former Buckeye will be the primary linebacker in the Mile High City.

6. Pete Werner, NO

Drafted: Second round, No. 60 overall pick (Ohio State)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 23

Stats to know:

played in 15 games; 394 defensive snaps (40 percent)
36 solo tackles, 26 assists; four tackles for loss; one missed tackle (1.6 percent missed tackle rate)
21 completions on 28 targets (75 percent completion percentage); zero passes defensed; zero interceptions
12 blitzes; one pressure; zero sacks; one quarterback hit

I’m pretty bullish on Werner, who showed to be a good tackler and better than most rookies in coverage. While his 2022 value likely depends on whether or not the Saints bring back Kwon Alexander to play the number two role next to Demario Davis, I still like Werner’s outlook in future seasons given Davis’ age (33) and Werner’s three-down skillset.

7. Divine Deablo, LV

Drafted: Third round, No. 80 overall pick (Virginia Tech)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 24

Stats to know:

played in all 17 games; 296 defensive snaps (26 percent)
28 solo tackles, 17 assists; one tackle for loss; one missed tackle (2.2 percent missed tackle rate)
nine completions on 13 targets (69.2 percent completion percentage); one pass defensed; zero interceptions
Seven blitzes; one pressure; zero sacks; zero quarterback hits
Zero forced fumbles; one fumble recovery

There’s never been a higher demand for linebackers who can drop into zone coverage or mirror a receiving tight end off the line of scrimmage. The Bobby Wagners of the NFL are a rare breed though, so most teams try to make do with smaller, more agile linebackers who can still play physically downhill. Deablo, a rocked-up college safety, fits the mold. Once he started seeing snaps in week 13, Deablo impressed enough to merit consideration as the number two linebacker moving forward. He’s certainly a better option than the overpriced Corey Littleton and Nick Kwiatkowski. We’ll have to see how the new coaching staff feels about him, but I’m pretty high on Deablo’s fantasy potential.

Tier Three: Worthy of a Roster Spot

There are enough reasons to like each of these linebackers that I’d deem them worthy of a roster spot in all-but-shallow league formats. In essence I’d like to see how they improve with a full NFL off-season, or where they stand on their respective linebacker depth charts, before making a dynasty determination.

8. Zaven Collins, ARI

Drafted: First round, No. 16 overall pick (Tulsa)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 23

Stats to know:

played in all 17 games; 220 defensive snaps (20 percent)
13 solo tackles, 12 assists; one tackle for loss; two missed tackles (7.4 percent missed tackle rate)
eight completions on 14 targets (57.1 percent completion percentage); three passes defensed; zero interceptions
ten blitzes; one pressure; zero sacks; zero quarterback hits

It really was hard not to be excited about Collins after his selection at the mid-way point of the first round. Even after Arizona mismanaged Isaiah Simmons during his rookie season, we happily bought in as Cardinals general manager Steve Keim promised us all that Collins was being gifted Jordan Hicks’ full-time role. Collins pretty quickly got arrested for driving 76 in a 35 mile-per-hour zone, and a trade involving Hicks never materialized. The lesson is pretty clear: never believe Steve Keim! And don’t trust Arizona with rookie linebackers.

I’m not totally giving up on Collins, but we should fully anticipate Hicks and Simmons as the primary linebackers in 2022. We may see more of Collins after Hicks’ contract runs out next off-season, but for now Collins remains a stash-and-hope asset.

9. Jamin Davis, WAS

Drafted: First round, No. 19 overall pick (Kentucky)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 23

Stats to know:

played in 16 games; 581 defensive snaps (56 percent)
48 solo tackles, 28 assists; three tackles for loss; 11 missed tackles (12.6 percent missed tackle rate)
36 completions on 42 targets (85.7 percent completion percentage); one pass defensed; zero interceptions
48 blitzes; five pressures; one sack; two quarterback hits

I don’t know that we can consider Davis a total bust after one season, but it seems unlikely that he’ll become an LB1. Ron Rivera admitted late in the season that Davis couldn’t handle the rigors of the every-down role, and said that finding a middle linebacker would be a priority this off-season.

Cole Holcomb had a bit of a breakout year and looks to be ahead of Davis in the pecking order as well, so ultimately it sounds like Davis is being viewed as a part-time early-down player. This is obviously very, very grim news for his IDP outlook.

10. Derrick Barnes, DET

Drafted: Fourth round, No. 113 overall pick (Purdue)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 23

Stats to know:

played in all 17 games; 448 defensive snaps (39 percent)
42 solo tackles, 25 assists; four tackles for loss; six missed tackles (8.2 percent missed tackle rate)
19 completions on 22 targets (86.4 percent completion percentage); two passes defensed; zero interceptions
11 blitzes; two pressures; two sacks; two quarterback hits

Given Detroit’s other options at linebacker, Barnes was tremendously disappointing as a rookie. Many expected him to play and play early, but instead – and even after Jamie Collins was sent packing – Alex Anzalone was underwhelming in an every-down role and Jalen Reeves-Maybin enjoyed a mini-breakout season. Barnes really struggled in pass coverage but looked capable as a blitzer. I have a hard time believing that the Lions will enter 2022 with Barnes in line for anything more than the number three linebacker role.

11. Garret Wallow, HOU

Drafted: Fifth round, No. 170 overall pick (Texas Christian)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 23

Stats to know:

played in all 17 games; 180 defensive snaps (16 percent)
15 solo tackles, eight assists; two tackles for loss; two missed tackles (8 percent missed tackle rate)
13 completions on 15 targets (86.7 percent completion percentage); zero passes defensed; zero interceptions
six blitzes; one pressure; one sack; one quarterback hit

Wallow played sparingly until week 13, then saw 117 snaps over a two-game stretch in weeks 15-16, and crushed it in week 15 against Jacksonville with 11 total tackles and a sack. He showed some limitations in coverage, as rookie linebackers typically do, but Wallow looks the part of a run-and-chase stack linebacker. His status as a rosterable fantasy asset is really going to depend on what Houston does at linebacker in the off-season.

In addition to Wallow, little-used Kevin Pierre-Louis is under contract. Kamu Grugier-Hill, coming off a breakout season, seems likely to re-sign with the Texans. It also wouldn’t be a surprise to see Christian Kirksey back on another one-year deal. Wallow could and should be in play for the third linebacker spot, and even if he starts the season that low in the pecking order, he’ll have value at some point given Kirksey’s track record of injuries.

12. Jabril Cox, DAL

Drafted: Fourth round, No. 115 overall pick (LSU by way of North Dakota State)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 24

Stats to know:

played in seven games; nine defensive snaps (2 percent)
two solo tackles

Cox was drafted into a crowded Dallas linebacker corps that included Parsons, Jaylon Smith, Leighton Vander Esch and safety convert Keanu Neal, so we knew he wouldn’t have much if any value as a rookie. After tearing an ACL midway through the season though, Cox may be looking at another season of grooming before being ready to contribute meaningful snaps. As it stands now, Cox and Parsons are the only linebackers that Dallas has under contract for 2022.

13. Monty Rice, TEN

Drafted: Third round, No. 92 overall pick (Georgia)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 23

Stats to know:

played in ten games; 179 defensive snaps (27 percent)
17 solo tackles, 19 assists; zero tackles for loss; three missed tackles (7.7 percent missed tackle rate)
10 completions on 13 targets (76.9 percent completion percentage); one pass defensed; zero interceptions
three blitzes; two pressures; zero sacks; one quarterback hit

For a third-round pick, Rice had a fairly nondescript rookie season for a Titans team that suffered through plenty of injuries at the linebacker spot. Tennessee seemingly drafted Rice – a nasty downhill thumper-type – as the successor to Rashaan Evans though, and there’s a decent chance that Rice is the second linebacker next to David Long Jr. to open 2022. Of course Zach Cunningham is also under contract through 2025, but is expensive and has a zero dollar dead cap hit if cut. He could certainly return on a reworked deal. Either Evans or fellow free agent Jayon Brown could also be back on short-term contracts. Until free agency unwinds itself though, Rice is worth rostering.

Tier Four: Watch List

If you’re in a 14- or 16-team league, or a league with a lot of roster spots or oversized taxi squads, you could consider rostering edges in this tier based on draft capital or brief flashes in their rookie seasons.

14. Jamien Sherwood, NYJ

Drafted: Fifth round, No. 146 overall pick (Auburn)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 22

Stats to know:

played in five games; 139 defensive snaps (36 percent)
eight solo tackles, seven assists; zero tackles for loss; one missed tackles (6.3 percent missed tackle rate)
two completions on four targets (50 percent completion percentage); zero passes defensed; zero interceptions
seven blitzes; zero pressures; zero sacks; zero quarterback hits

The Jets doubled down in the draft on safety-to-linebacker conversion projects, and Sherwood was the higher selection of the two. He had a somewhat promising start to the season before rupturing an Achilles tendon in week seven. If he fully recovers, he could compete for rotational duty, and possibly have value if injury strikes either C.J. Mosley or Quincy Williams.

15. Chazz Surratt, MIN

Drafted: Third round, No. 78 overall pick (North Carolina)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 25

Stats to know:

played in nine games; special teams snaps only

Sure, Surratt converted to linebacker from quarterback in college, but entering his second season he’ll be 25 and have played zero defensive snaps. (He played just 98 special teams snaps as a rookie.) There’s no real way to look at this right now other than Surratt was a waste of a third-round pick. The regime that drafted him (general manager Rick Spielman and coach Mike Zimmer) is gone. That could be a good thing, and we’ll have to watch for any positive indicators that the new coaching staff sees promise in Surratt.

16. Isaiah McDuffie, GB

Drafted: Sixth round, No. 220 overall pick (Boston College)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 23

Stats to know:

played in 13 games; special teams snaps only

I had a good feeling about McDuffie after a promising preseason, especially after Green Bay kept him on the roster over sophomore Kamal Martin. But McDuffie never saw the field on defense, and the Packers even brought in Cowboys reject Jaylon Smith for snaps during the season. Still, McDuffie right now has a path to relevance in 2022 with starters De’Vondre Campbell and Krys Barnes, plus backup Oren Burks, entering free agency. Now, there’s no way Green Bay runs McDuffie and Ty Summers out at off-ball linebacker to start the season, but I wouldn’t be stunned to see McDuffie penciled in as the third linebacker. This is a situation worth monitoring, for sure.

17. Dylan Moses, JAC

Undrafted (Alabama)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 24

Moses was an uber-prospect who hit major college recruiting radars in middle school. He never quite lived up to the billing at Alabama but still had a very good career marred by an ACL injury in 2019 and meniscus issues in 2020. He missed the entire season after having knee surgery last February.

If Moses can make it back onto the field, there’s reason for hope. The only viable linebacker from a snaps perspective that the Jaguars have rostered right now is Myles Jack, and he’s likely to be let go in a cap-saving move. But Jacksonville is still without a coaching staff at the time of this writing, and whoever runs the defense is sure to bring in some veterans with experience running their system. It seems like a long shot given his history of knee injuries and franchise instability, but Moses has the talent to merit watch list status.

18. Cameron McGrone, NE

Drafted: Fifth round, No. 177 overall pick (Michigan)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 22

The youngest linebacker in this class, McGrone came into the NFL without a lot of experience under his belt. Plus, he missed all but five games of his junior (final) season at Michigan after tearing an ACL in November 2020. He was due a redshirt year, and we haven’t yet seen him suit up for New England. Given the Patriots’ scheme and snap unpredictability on a week-in, week-out basis, McGrone – despite the speed and awareness that he played with in college – is at best someone to keep on your watch list.

19. Hamsah Nasirildeen, NYJ

Drafted: Sixth round, No. 186 overall pick (Florida State)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 23

Stats to know:

played in 12 games; 60 defensive snaps (7 percent)
three solo tackles, seven assists; zero tackles for loss; one missed tackles (9.1 percent missed tackle rate)
two completions on two targets (100 percent completion percentage); zero passes defensed; zero interceptions

One year ago, Nasirildeen had the look of a big-bodied safety prospect who would spend most of his time in the box. The Jets had other ideas and transitioned him to linebacker. The results were less-than-encouraging, and Nasirildeen barely saw any action. It’s a long path from here to IDP relevance.

Tier Five: Not Even Worth a Flier

20. Amen Ogbongbemiga, LAC

Undrafted (Oklahoma State)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 24

Stats to know:

played in 15 games; 110 defensive snaps (11 percent)
17 solo tackles, nine assists; two tackles for loss; three missed tackles (10.3 percent missed tackle rate)
four completions on five targets (80 percent completion percentage); zero passes defensed; zero interceptions
four blitzes; two pressures; one sack; two quarterback hits

Ogbongbemiga saw snaps as a second or third linebacker when Los Angeles was without Drue Tranquill and/or Kenneth Murray, but ultimately his future is as a core special teamer and a fourth or fifth option on the depth chart.

21. Buddy Johnson, PIT

Drafted: Fourth round, No. 140 overall pick (Texas A&M)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 23

Stats to know:

played in four games; six defensive snaps (2 percent)
two solo tackles; one missed tackle (33.3 percent missed tackle rate)

With no Stephon Tuitt or Tyson Alualu playing along its defensive line, Pittsburgh’s linebackers got chewed up in the run game as offensive lineman consistently worked to the second level and washed Devin Bush and Joe Schobert out of run lanes. Limited in size, Johnson was not going to be the answer as a rookie. A typical Steelers “swing for a single” day three pick, Johnson’s character and effort will likely keep him on the roster as a special teams contributor – just don’t look for fantasy relevance.

22. Tony Fields, CLE

Drafted: Fifth round, No. 153 overall pick (West Virginia by way of Arizona)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 23

Stats to know:

played in ten games; special teams snaps only

Fields’ path to snaps doesn’t get any easier in 2022. Even if Anthony Walker Jr. and Malcolm Smith don’t return to Cleveland, Owusu-Koramoah, Jacob Phillips, Sione Takitaki and Mack Wilson are all ahead of Fields in the linebacker pecking order. An undersized linebacker who had trouble getting off blocks even as a collegian, Fields is unlikely to ever surface as a fantasy asset.

23. Nick Niemann, LAC

Drafted: Sixth round, No. 185 overall pick (Iowa)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 24

Stats to know:

played in all 17 games; 66 defensive snaps (6 percent)
15 solo tackles, seven assists; zero tackles for loss; zero missed tackles
one completion on three targets (33.3 percent completion percentage); one pass defensed; one interception
one blitz; zero pressures; zero sacks; zero quarterback hits

Excuse the family feud, but we don’t like Niemanns around these parts. And by these parts, I mean IDP Land. It’s really no fault of Nick’s; it’s his brother Ben that sullied the Niemann name by stealing snaps from Willie Gay in Kansas City. So I guess it’s really Spagnuolo that we’re upset with, and this is guilt by association.

The rookie Niemann has the look of a decent NFL backup and special teams regular. He’s off the fantasy radar.

24. K.J. Britt, TB

Drafted: Fifth round, No. 176 overall pick (Auburn)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 23

Stats to know:

played in all 17 games; 28 defensive snaps (3 percent)
seven solo tackles, five assists; one tackle for loss; two missed tackles (14.3 percent missed tackle rate)
five completions on six targets (83.3 percent completion percentage); one pass defensed; zero interceptions
three blitzes; one pressure; zero sacks; one quarterback hit

Even as a collegian Britt was at his best a run-down gap filler. Effort and physicality will only take you so far in the NFL, and Britt will probably have a few career highlights where he chases down a quarterback or destroys a running back in the backfield. But Britt is never going to be a fantasy factor.

25. Grant Stuard, TB

Drafted: Seventh round, No. 259 overall pick (Houston)
Age prior to kickoff of 2022 season: 23

Stats to know:

played in all 17 games; 26 defensive snaps (2 percent)
eight solo tackles, seven assists; zero tackles for loss; zero missed tackles
two completions on three targets (66.7 percent completion percentage); zero passes defensed; zero interceptions
two blitzes; zero pressures; zero sacks; zero quarterback hits
one forced fumble

Mr. Irrelevant is another size-limited, productive college linebacker whose effort and toughness got him this far. If he gets consistent snaps on defense even for one game though, something has gone terribly wrong in Tampa Bay.

Author
Recent Posts

Jason King

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

Jason is a lifelong Steelers fan and proud alumnus of NC State University. He caught the fantasy football bug in 1996, and has a strange but strong affinity for IDP dynasty leagues with multiple copies of players. When he's not thinking about fantasy football, he's doing something with his two children, dabbling with photography or fixing something around the house.