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2022 IDP Rookie Review: Edge Rushers

thibodeaux
Kayvon Thibodeaux
Jason King Posted On February 11, 2023
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It’s the time of year when I – and probably a lot of fantasy players – just want to reset from the grind of weekly waiver wire runs and lineup setting, and enjoy the pageantry of the NFL playoffs before going into draft prospect mode. Before turning the page to the 2023 rookies though, it makes sense to look back at the 2022 class and examine their dynasty futures after one season.

Consider the typical disclaimers: these rookies aren’t finished products, and we are often surprised by year-two breakouts. On the flip side, the trajectory of player development is not always positive. Sometimes in addition to off-season development, stagnation or regression, scheme and/or role changes, or player valuations can make a big difference in a player’s production and outlook. At the time of this writing, we have coaching turnover (head coach and/or defensive coordinator) in Arizona, Atlanta, Carolina, Cleveland, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Miami, Minnesota and New Orleans, and general manager changes in Arizona and Tennessee.

In short, I’m not hitching my reputation to these rankings looking the same post-2023.

For this rookie review series, I’ll start with the edge rushers, then move to interior linemen, linebackers, and finally safeties. We enjoyed a great rookie cornerback class in 2022, but corners simply don’t carry dynasty value from year-to-year, so I don’t pay them much mind when looking through a dynasty lens.

Before getting into the rankings and brief reviews, I think it makes sense to examine which metrics should be taken into account not just for rookies, but defensive linemen in general.

Statistically Speaking: How Do We Measure Effective Defensive Linemen?

Most defensive statistics are a bit subjective, and I realize that most people prefer the Pro Football Focus (PFF) data. But grades and other PFF metrics are not freely available, so most statistical credit in this article goes to Pro Football Reference (PFR) – which uses Sportradar data – for quarterback hits, tackles for loss, and missed tackles.

A lot of people have settled on PFF pressures (sacks, quarterback hits and hurries, combined) as the best measure of pass rush effectiveness, so I’ve included that number here. There’s some statistical variance in PFF and “official“ sack totals, as well as PFF’s quarterback hits and Sportradar quarterback knockdown totals – though they are similarly defined and not too far apart in season totals for individual players.

The big difference in PFF pressures and the pressure number you find freely on PFR lies in the number of hurries. PFF says its number is based on when a quarterback’s throw is affected, or he’s moved off his spot. PFR says its hurry metric is determined by the quarterback throwing the ball earlier than intended or being chased out of the pocket. Is there a difference? There must be, and PFF’s measurement is much more liberal. For example, Nick Bosa is credited with 41 hurries by PFF, and nine by Sportradar (via PFR). And before you rush to PFF’s side, consider PFF credits Jerry Hughes with 49 hurries, while Sportradar gives him seven. If you polled our good IDP population on which number is most accurate for Bosa, my assumption (and I hate assuming) is that most people would side with 41. And if you did the same for Hughes, most people would choose seven.

Before anyone gets upset I’m not knocking any site’s measurements, grades or scores. If PFF pressures or grades or pass rush win percentage rates are the cat’s meow for you, run with it. There are others too; last off-season, NFL.com’s Nick Shook used Next Gen Stats to develop a look at the top “disruptors“ from 2021, and that seems intriguing. I’m a bit of a simpleton when it comes to statistical metrics, and I side with what my eyes tell me makes a defensive lineman effective: making plays in the backfield. And for me, I like getting hands on the quarterback, or making a tackle that results in a loss of yards.

And that’s how I came up with the “plays in the backfield“ score. Apologies to anyone who already uses this metric; I haven’t seen it out there. It’s not my data. And perhaps it’s overly simplistic: quarterback hits plus tackles for loss, divided by snaps and multiplied by 100. It removes the subjectivity of sacks and the wide variance in what determines a hurry, and includes a measure for getting into the backfield to disrupt run plays. And, to boot, it’s freely available data on PFR.

If you want to see how this plays out at the edge position in 2022, the top ten (500 snaps minimum) looks like this:

  1. Nick Bosa, SF (8.98)
  2. Josh Sweat, PHI (6.47)
  3. Montez Sweat, WAS (5.75)
  4. Myles Garrett, CLE (5.39)
  5. Maxx Crosby, LV (5.25)
  6. Denico Autry, TEN (5.08)
  7. Za’Darius Smith, MIN (5.06)
  8. Carl Lawson, NYJ (4.98)
  9. Matthew Judon, NE (4.88)
  10. Trey Hendrickson, CIN (4.77)

Examples of players in the bottom ten (there are rookies among this group, and you’ll see them later in the article) include Carolina’s Yetur Gross-Matos (1.77), Atlanta’s Adetokunbo Ogundeji (0.73) and Chicago’s Al-Quadin Muhammad (0.66). I doubt anyone would be surprised by their inclusion.

If you just wanted to see rankings, sorry for the long explanation on why a “plays in the backfield“ score is included, and what it is.

One final note: I grouped defensive ends and outside linebackers. I’m in leagues that use “true position“ designations, and in leagues that have scoring systems that value outside linebackers, and in leagues where outside linebackers have little value. You’ll have to adjust what’s below based on your individual league setup.

Tier One: Elite Assets

We have a couple of edge rushers with elite potential in this class, but I’m not ready to include either of them with the likes of Micah Parsons, Nick Bosa, Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, Brian Burns, Jaelan Phillips, Josh Allen, Danielle Hunter and Rashan Gary.

Tier Two: Current or Future Fantasy Starters

The edges in this tier have weekly starting fantasy upside as Edge1s or Edge2s. Depending on your depth they may be matchup-based starts or sits, but they certainly have nice value as dynasty IDP assets.

1. Kayvon Thibodeaux, NYG

  • Drafted: First round, No. 5 overall pick (Oregon)
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2023 season: 22
  • Current personal IDP ranking among edge rushers: 15

Stats to know:

  • played in 14 games; 740 defensive snaps (65.4 percent)
  • 40 pressures; four sacks; 13 quarterback hits; six tackles for loss
  • “plays in the backfield“ score: 2.57 (fourth among rookies playing 45 percent or more of defensive snaps)
  • 33 solo tackles, 16 assists; zero missed tackles

You could make a good argument that Thibodeaux belongs in the elite tier as a budding star. As a 21-year-old, he cranked out Edge2 numbers by both points per game and total points in 14 games. You do have to consider though he had a massive week 15 that included a strip sack for a touchdown and a dozen combined tackles, and that outing in almost all of my leagues registered as the top-scoring week of any defensive end in 2022. And while I’m certainly not holding that against him, it did provide a massive boost to his fantasy point totals.

In the end, I give Thibodeaux a slight nod over Hutchinson as the top edge option in this class. Both players are essentially everything we thought they were coming out, and in Thibodeaux’s case, his quickness off the snap, speed to the ball and flexibility make him the better option of the two if one were to eventually ascend to the elite tier. As he gains years in the league, he’ll certainly add to his frame to help with consistency as a pass rusher and run defender, and perhaps allow him to increase his snaps played percentage.

2. Aidan Hutchinson, DET

  • Drafted: First round, No. 2 overall pick (Michigan)
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2023 season: 23
  • Current personal IDP ranking among edge rushers: 16

Stats to know:

  • played in all 17 games; 958 defensive snaps (84.3 percent)
  • 53 pressures; nine-and-a-half sacks; 15 quarterback hits; nine tackles for loss
  • “plays in the backfield“ score: 2.51 (fifth among rookies playing 45 percent or more of defensive snaps)
  • 34 solo tackles, 18 assists; three missed tackles (5.5 percent missed tackle rate)

Hutchinson was deemed the most ready NFL edge prospect in the class, so it was no surprise that he easily paced this group in snaps. In fact, Detroit leaned on him so heavily that his percentage of defensive snaps played ranked fifth among all edge rushers. Wherever you have Hutchinson shares, you’re going to be happy with him as a starter for many years.

One of the more impressive aspects of Hutchinson’s season was the strong finish, which included a two-sack performance of Aaron Rodgers in the Lions’ week 18 win over Green Bay. The Michigan product had some of his best games when others had weeks earlier been stuffed by the “rookie wall,” and I think that’s evidence of his reputed work ethic and dedication.

Tier Three: Worthy of a Roster Spot

There are enough reasons to like each of these edges 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 before making a dynasty determination. In “start two” ten-team leagues or 12-team leagues that lump defensive linemen together, they’re probably just waiver wire guys worth keeping an eye on.

3. George Karlaftis, KC

  • Drafted: First round, No. 30 overall pick (Purdue)
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2023 season: 22
  • Current personal IDP ranking among edge rushers: 31

Stats to know:

  • played in all 17 games; 730 defensive snaps (63.6 percent)
  • 48 pressures; six sacks; 11 quarterback hits; eight tackles for loss
  • “plays in the backfield“ score: 2.60
  • 18 solo tackles, 15 assists; four missed tackles (10.8 percent missed tackle rate)

“Furious George” (kudos to whoever came up with that one) was drafted into a great situation in Kansas City, which was desperate for edge help opposite the underwhelming Frank Clark. And Karlaftis was just what the doctor ordered, delivering a solid and strong presence as a 21-year-old rookie. Among rookie edge rushers, Karlaftis’ 48 PFF pressures ranked second to Hutchinson, and his “plays in the backfield” score was a close second to Arnold Ebiketie (for those playing at least 45 percent of defensive snaps). And, like Hutchinson, he played well down the stretch, delivering six sacks over his final seven games of the regular season. I don’t know that he’ll ever be a dynamic edge rusher or someone you’ll want to start on a week-in, week-out basis, but he’s going to be a valuable spot starter – perhaps more – for many seasons.

4. Travon Walker, JAC

  • Drafted: First round, No. 1 overall pick (Georgia)
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2023 season: 22
  • Current personal IDP ranking among edge rushers: 35

Stats to know:

  • played in 15 games; 788 defensive snaps (67.8 percent)
  • 41 pressures; three-and-a-half sacks; 10 quarterback hits; five tackles for loss
  • “plays in the backfield“ score: 1.90
  • 24 solo tackles, 25 assists; five missed tackles (9.3 percent missed tackle rate)

Despite being drafted No. 1 overall, Walker came with questions about his fit at edge considering Georgia used him all over the line and didn’t give him the opportunity to regularly hone his skills outside the tackle. He showed early on he could win with a strong long arm, and his snaps, tackle totals and PFF pressures were on par with Thibodeaux. Still, his “plays in the backfield” score was poor, and I’d like to see him do more than flash before thinking about starting him on a regular basis.

5. Arnold Ebiketie, ATL

  • Drafted: Second round, No. 38 overall pick (Penn State)
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2023 season: 24
  • Current personal IDP ranking among edge rushers: 37

Stats to know:

  • played in 16 games; 516 defensive snaps (46 percent)
  • 28 pressures; two-and-a-half sacks; 11 quarterback hits; three tackles for loss
  • “plays in the backfield“ score: 2.71
  • 21 solo tackles, nine assists; zero missed tackles

The rookie wall was a real thing for Ebiketie. Perhaps it was the wrist injury he suffered in week 12 that caused him to miss a game, but the Penn State product was a total zero after Atlanta’s week 14 bye. He certainly looked like a future solid starter through 12 weeks though, and really had a nice game against San Francisco in week six:

Working in Ebiketie’s favor, I think, is the hiring of Ryan Nielsen as defensive coordinator. The defensive line coach for the Saints since 2017, Nielsen seemingly prefers humans a little larger than Ebiketie (6-3, 256) on the edge, so we’ll have to see if Ebiketie can continue to add some bulk. But in general New Orleans has been a prolific unit for sack production, a testament to Nielsen’s rising star. The Falcons are sure to add at least one projected starter at edge in free agency, but Ebiketie should be able to hang on to a big enough role to warrant fantasy spot starts.

6. Jermaine Johnson II, NYJ

  • Drafted: First round, No. 26 overall pick (Florida State)
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2023 season: 24
  • Current personal IDP ranking among edge rushers: 41

Stats to know:

  • played in 14 games; 312 defensive snaps (27.4 percent)
  • 14 pressures; two-and-a-half sacks; five quarterback hits; three tackles for loss
  • “plays in the backfield“ score: 2.56
  • 18 solo tackles, 11 assists; one missed tackle (3.3 percent missed tackle rate)

More than a few analysts considered Johnson to be one of the draft’s most well-rounded edge rushers, and despite a day one slide, Johnson was still a first-round pick. Johnson didn’t really get enough snaps to render judgment, as Gang Green relied fairly heavily on Carl Lawson and John Franklin-Myers as their primary edge options. My thinking is that if Johnson was worthy, he’d have received a greater snap share though, and honestly he wasn’t the best rookie edge on his own team – that honor goes to his much older classmate, Micheal Clemons.

If you’re looking for optimism, Johnson did sport a nice “plays in the backfield” score; Lawson is entering the final year of his contract; and Franklin-Myers might be facing a cap-savings release after 2023 if the Jets add a high-priced quarterback this off-season.

7. James Houston IV, DET

  • Drafted: Sixth round, No. 217 overall (Jackson State)
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2023 season: 24
  • Current personal IDP ranking among edge rushers: 44

Stats to know:

  • played in seven games; 140 defensive snaps (12.3 percent)
  • 17 pressures; eight sacks; 11 quarterback hits; seven tackles for loss
  • “plays in the backfield“ score: 12.86
  • 11 solo tackles, one assist; zero missed tackles

There is but one appropriate reaction to Houston’s rookie season, and it’s “wow!” The sixth-round pick didn’t see the field until week 12 and played just 140 defensive snaps, yet still managed eight sacks and lived in opposing backfields. So shouldn’t he be higher on this list? Possibly, but Houston is an obvious fantasy regression candidate from a points-per-game perspective.

If you want to see just how fluky Houston’s sack production is, divide his eight sacks by a composite of PFF hurries (five) and PFF quarterback knockdowns (four). Now compare that 0.89 metric to some of 2022’s best edge rushers: Josh Sweat (0.37), Alex Highsmith (0.36), Haason Reddick (0.32), Matthew Judon (0.30), Myles Garrett (0.29), and you get the picture. Even if Houston is able to replicate his rate of backfield disruption, that sack total simply isn’t sustainable. And in most fantasy scoring systems, sacks are a major driver of edge production.

I’m being a Debbie Downer and it’s not totally fair, as Houston provided plenty of reasons for optimism during his brief rookie campaign – and that’s why he’s this high on the list. The question is whether he is a budding star or a shooting star, burning bright for today but sure to fade fast once more attention turns his way. We don’t know the answer to that, but we do know his snaps need to increase in a major way if he is to merit starting lineup consideration in fantasy.

8. David Ojabo, BAL

  • Drafted: Second round, No. 45 overall pick (Michigan)
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2023 season: 23
  • Current personal IDP ranking among edge rushers: 46

Stats to know:

  • played in two games; 21 defensive snaps (1.9 percent)
  • one pressure; one sack; one quarterback hit
  • “plays in the backfield“ score: 4.76
  • one solo tackle; zero missed tackles

It was a bit of a surprise that Ojabo even got on the field after tearing an Achilles during a pre-draft workout in March 2022. Before his injury, he was considered a first-round prospect due to his quicks, speed and edge-bending prowess. He also had a lot of work to do against the run, so he was by no means a perfect prospect. There’s opportunity for snaps in Baltimore, with just Tyus Bowser – also on the rebound from a torn Achilles – and rising third-year pro Odafe Oweh on the Ravens’ outside linebacker depth chart. Even if he never develops as a run defender, Ojabo has the ability to carve out a Yannick Ngakoue-like career as a quarterback chaser with double-digit sack upside.

9. Sam Williams, DAL

  • Drafted: Second round, No. 56 overall pick (Ole Miss)
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2023 season: 24
  • Current personal IDP ranking among edge rushers: 50

Stats to know:

  • played in 15 games; 273 defensive snaps (23.8 percent)
  • 22 pressures; four sacks; nine quarterback hits; ten tackles for loss
  • “plays in the backfield“ score: 6.96
  • 15 solo tackles, seven assists; three missed tackles (12 percent missed tackle rate)

Williams has serious blow-up potential as early as 2024. He was just as impressive as any rookie edge when we saw him, which understandably wasn’t a ton given the talent ahead of him in Dallas’ edge rotation (that would be Micah Parsons, Demarcus Lawrence, Dorrance Armstrong and Dante Fowler). Parsons will be around long-term, but we could certainly see Williams as the Robin to Parsons’ Batman as early as 2024. Fowler is a free agent this off-season; Armstrong is scheduled to be in 2024; and Lawrence would be a cap casualty if his play falls off or he suffers through an injury-plagued 2023 season. Williams should be a trade target for patient IDP managers, especially if your leaguemates are prone to reading too much into the overblown news of a warrant being issued for his arrest following a late-season car accident.

10. Boye Mafe, SEA

  • Drafted: Second round, No. 40 overall pick (Minnesota)
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2023 season: 24
  • Current personal IDP ranking among edge rushers: 52

Stats to know:

  • played in all 17 games; 424 defensive snaps (36.7 percent)
  • 12 pressures; three sacks; four quarterback hits; three tackles for loss
  • “plays in the backfield“ score: 1.65
  • 28 solo tackles, 13 assists; three missed tackles (6.8 percent missed tackle rate)

Mafe profiled as a high-upside SPARQ-y athlete with room to grow as an edge setter, so it was a promising sign that Mafe performed well against the run as a rookie. He had some moments as a pass rusher, including a quality sack against the Rams in the season finale, but for the most part was quiet while ceding snaps to veteran free agent signing Bruce Irvin.

Uchenna Nwosu is coming off a breakout season and will continue to command high snap volume – well, high for what counts as high in Seattle – leaving Mafe to battle it out for the lion’s share of remaining snaps with Darrell Taylor and whoever else joins the Seahawk edge rotation. I like Mafe’s chances of developing into a solid all-around edge, but he’s still going to be toward the end of most fantasy teams’ edge depth chart.

11. Drake Jackson, SF

  • Drafted: Second round, No. 61 overall pick (Southern Cal)
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2023 season: 22

Stats to know:

  • played in 15 games; 315 defensive snaps (29.4 percent)
  • 16 pressures; three sacks; six quarterback hits; three tackles for loss
  • “plays in the backfield“ score: 2.86
  • eight solo tackles, six assists; zero missed tackles

It’s not a good sign for Jackson that the 49ers made him a healthy scratch for weeks 16, 18 and each of their three playoff games. And even though he scored three sacks, he was largely ineffective as an impact player off the edge. Consider Jackson was one of the younger edge rushers in the class though, and it’s more typical than not for rookies to fade as the long NFL season wears on.

Given the draft investment and potential opportunity ahead of him, Jackson is certainly worth rostering. Consider Nick Bosa is the only other 49er edge under contract for 2023. With DeMeco Ryans headed to the Texans, it’s possible at least two of free agents Samson Ebukam, Jordan Willis and Charles Omenihu will follow him to Houston. Granted the 49ers will certainly add or retain some talent in free agency, but they have a lot riding on Williams with just three late-round draft picks to work with this off-season.

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. Otherwise you can likely find preferable alternatives in your free agent pool.

12. Myjai Sanders, ARI

  • Drafted: Third round, No. 100 overall (Cincinnati)
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2023 season: 25

Stats to know:

  • played in 13 games; 259 defensive snaps (23.3 percent)
  • 17 pressures; three sacks; five quarterback hits; three tackles for loss
  • “plays in the backfield“ score: 3.09
  • 17 solo tackles, six assists; two missed tackles (8 percent missed tackle rate)

New General Manager Monti Ossenfort has his work cut out for him in Arizona. Sure, there’s a former No. 1 overall pick at quarterback, but there are work ethic, attitude and durability concerns with Kyler Murray. Defensive line looks like the biggest area of need, but it starts inside the tackles and not outside, in my opinion.

I certainly wouldn’t fault the Cardinals for selecting Will Anderson Jr. if he’s still on the board when Arizona selects at No. 4, but Sanders was one of two rookie edge rushers who showed enough juice down the stretch to merit longer looks. At the time of this writing, Arizona doesn’t have a head coach, so we don’t know how the defensive scheme may ultimately shake out, but it does have Ossenfort in place. And Sanders was a person of interest to Ossenfort and the Titans during the draft process last off-season, pulling a top 30 visit.

13. Cameron Thomas, ARI

  • Drafted: Third round, No. 87 overall (San Diego State)
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2023 season: 23

Stats to know:

  • played in all 17 games; 236 defensive snaps (21.2 percent)
  • 19 pressures; three sacks; six quarterback hits; three tackles for loss
  • “plays in the backfield“ score: 3.81
  • seven solo tackles, 11 assists; zero missed tackles

Like his teammate Sanders, Thomas was admirable as a rookie and looks like he’ll at minimum be able to hold down a decent role, especially on a team currently devoid of depth behind short-term options Markus Golden and Dennis Gardeck. I like that he already has shown some speed-to-power prowess, but I’ll always wonder about the upside without the ability to really turn the corner on a tackle and flatten a route to the quarterback.

14. Nik Bonitto, DEN

  • Drafted: Second round, No. 64 overall pick (Oklahoma)
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2023 season: 23 (turns 24 in mid-September)

Stats to know:

  • played in 15 games; 357 defensive snaps (31.2 percent)
  • 19 pressures; one-and-a-half sacks; three quarterback hits; one tackle for loss
  • “plays in the backfield“ score: 1.12
  • six solo tackles, eight assists; four missed tackles (22.2 percent missed tackle rate)

Typically you’d want to hang on to a rising sophomore with second-round draft capital, but in Bonitto’s case, you’d likely need to be in a league larger than 12 teams to consider keeping him around. He simply didn’t have the strength to compete with tackles once they got their hands on him, and that’s of concern considering he’s essentially going to be a 24-year-old headed into his sophomore campaign. Baron Browning, Randy Gregory, Jonathon Cooper and Jacob Martin all looked better than Bonitto in 2022, and all four are under contract for 2023.

15. Josh Paschal, DET

  • Drafted: Second round, No. 46 overall pick (Kentucky)
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2023 season: 23

Stats to know:

  • played in ten games; 293 defensive snaps (25.8 percent)
  • 15 pressures; two sacks; four quarterback hits; two tackles for loss
  • “plays in the backfield“ score: 2.05
  • ten solo tackles, six assists; one missed tackle (5.9 percent missed tackle rate)

Paschal’s second-round draft selection was a bit of a surprise given there’s nothing special about him. Still, he’s a solid rotational edge, with size and traits worthy of more snaps than he saw as a rookie. Detroit surely drafted him with 2024 in mind, with Romeo Okwara, Charles Harris and Julian Okwara all set to reach free agency next off-season. Paschal is obviously behind Hutchinson on the long-term depth chart, but what really complicates things for Paschal is Houston’s emergence as a passing-down force. Plus, I wouldn’t rule out a multi-year deal for free-agent-to-be John Cominsky, whose 44 PFF pressures and 3.06 “plays in the backfield” score on 556 snaps indicate he’s a quality sidekick to Hutchinson. In short, there are many obstacles for Paschal to achieve fantasy relevance.

16. Dominique Robinson, CHI

  • Drafted: Fifth round, No. 174 overall (Miami of Ohio)
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2023 season: 25

Stats to know:

  • played in 15 games; 550 defensive snaps (50.6 percent)
  • 15 pressures; one-and-a-half sacks; two quarterback hits; two tackles for loss
  • “plays in the backfield“ score: 0.73
  • 19 solo tackles, 11 assists; four missed tackles (11.8 percent missed tackle rate)

If you spent a late-round rookie draft flier on Robinson, you felt like a rock star after week one. The fifth-rounder exploded out of the gate, ending Chicago’s opener with one-and-a-half sacks and two quarterback hits. He must not have liked the attention, because despite playing half of the Bears’ defensive snaps, Robinson was about as non-a-factor as you can be in his other 14 games. It’s possible there’s a year two leap in store – and Chicago will be looking for anything resembling an outside pass rush this off-season – but Robinson is an older prospect and had ample opportunity to prove himself in year one. If there’s no training camp buzz later this year you can safely cut bait.

17. Amaré Barno, CAR

  • Drafted: Sixth round, No. 189 overall pick (Virginia Tech)
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2023 season: 24

Stats to know:

  • played in nine games; 51 defensive snaps (4.4 percent)
  • three pressures; two sacks; two quarterback hits; two tackles for loss
  • “plays in the backfield“ score: 7.84
  • eight solo tackles, one assist; zero missed tackles

Finding an edge to bookend with stud Brian Burns should be an off-season priority for Carolina, which relied way too heavily on Yetur Gross-Matos (846 snaps) after allowing Haason Reddick to leave in free agency. Can Barno be that guy? It would be a stretch to say “yes,“ no doubt, but I do believe Barno can fit in as a capable subpackage rusher given his athleticism. He’d be hard-pressed not to put up better production than Gross-Matos if given more opportunity.

18. Kingsley Enagbare, GB

  • Drafted: Fifth round, No. 179 overall (South Carolina)
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2023 season: 23

Stats to know:

  • played in all 17 games; 465 defensive snaps (45 percent)
  • eight pressures; three sacks; eight quarterback hits; five tackles for loss
  • “plays in the backfield“ score: 2.80
  • 18 solo tackles, 13 assists; one missed tackle (3.1 percent missed tackle rate)

Enagbare wasn’t supposed to see 465 snaps as a rookie. Rashan Gary’s torn ACL forced Green Bay to rely more heavily on Enagbare than it wanted, and the Pack’s pass rush suffered mightily as a result. The numbers aren’t terrible, but Enagbare doesn’t look like a difference-maker – and that’s no surprise given he was a fifth-round pick. Gary’s a stud when healthy and will likely be locked up long-term in spite of the injury, and Preston Smith is contractually safe for two more seasons. Expect Enagbare’s role to move in reverse in 2023.

19. Micheal Clemons, NYJ

  • Drafted: Fourth round, No. 117 overall pick (Texas A&M)
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2023 season: 26

Stats to know:

  • played in 16 games; 311 defensive snaps (27.3 percent)
  • 13 pressures; two-and-a-half sacks; six quarterback hits; four tackles for loss
  • “plays in the backfield“ score: 3.22
  • 22 solo tackles, 14 assists; one missed tackle (2.7 percent missed tackle rate)

I like Clemons and think he’s a nice rotational piece, but considering his advanced age as a rookie (he celebrates his 26th birthday on August 21) we should have been expecting a player closer to his ceiling coming into the NFL. And I think what we saw in 2022 is pretty close to what Clemons is going to be able to bring to the table as a player. Not bad, but not worth rostering for fantasy purposes.

20. DeAngelo Malone, ATL

  • Drafted: Third round, No. 82 overall (Western Kentucky)
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2023 season: 24

Stats to know:

  • played in 15 games; 216 defensive snaps (19.3 percent)
  • seven pressures; one sack; two quarterback hits; four tackles for loss
  • “plays in the backfield“ score: 2.78
  • 18 solo tackles, 11 assists; two missed tackles (6.5 percent missed tackle rate)

Granted Malone didn’t play a ton of snaps, but he wasn’t much of a factor and didn’t do much to impress on a defense that was looking for anything resembling a disruptive presence on the defensive line. And, as noted in the writeup on Ebiketie, new Atlanta defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen prefers larger defensive ends, and at 240 pounds, Malone just isn’t that. The Falcons have plenty of cap space to invest in their No. 1 defensive area of need – pass rush – and I’d anticipate Malone to be fortunate if he’s anything higher than No. 5 on the edge depth chart heading into 2023.

21. Alex Wright, CLE

  • Drafted: Third round, No. 78 overall (Alabama-Birmingham)
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2023 season: 23

Stats to know:

  • played in all 17 games; 542 defensive snaps (49.8 percent)
  • 12 pressures; zero sacks; zero quarterback hits; two tackles for loss
  • “plays in the backfield“ score: 0.37
  • 13 solo tackles, 15 assists; three missed tackle (9.7 percent missed tackle rate)

Wright was nothing more than a warm body as a rookie, as indicated by his god-awful “plays in the backfield” score. The third-rounder has a lot of improvement to make in the off-season – NFL teams simply can’t live with such a lack of production from an edge playing more than 500 snaps.

Tier Five: Not Worth Watching

There’s nothing to see here but I took a look just to be sure.

22. Isaiah Thomas, CLE

  • Drafted: Seventh round, No. 223 overall pick (Oklahoma)
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2023 season: 24

Stats to know:

  • played in ten games; 162 defensive snaps (14.9 percent)
  • eight pressures; one sack; two quarterback hits; one tackle for loss
  • “plays in the backfield“ score: 1.85
  • four solo tackles, five assists; three missed tackles (25 percent missed tackle rate)

Thomas is about as “meh” as it gets for NFL ends, but he has good size and can provide early-game breathers. Jadeveon Clowney clearly won’t be back after burning bridges on his way out the door prior to week 18, and Wright didn’t show much as a playmaker. Cleveland currently doesn’t have the cap space or first-round draft capital to make a meaningful signing to help on the edge, so if you’re the glass-half-full type, you can sort of see some opportunity for Thomas.

23. Tomon Fox, NYG

  • Undrafted free agent (North Carolina)
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2023 season: 25

Stats to know:

  • played in 16 games; 320 defensive snaps (28.3 percent)
  • eight pressures; one sack; one quarterback hit; three tackles for loss
  • “plays in the backfield“ score: 1.25
  • 15 solo tackles, nine assists; one missed tackle (4 percent missed tackle rate)

The only undrafted free agent on this list, Fox proved to be nothing special but capable of providing acceptable snaps if needed. It wouldn’t surprise me if he makes the Giants’ 53-man roster out of training camp, but it also wouldn’t be a surprise if he started the season on the taxi squad or on his living room couch. If he is among Big Blue’s edge backups in 2023, and there’s a game that Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari are going to miss, and you’re desperate, and it’s a good matchup, you could look to Fox as a waiver wire fill-in.

jason king
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2022 IDP Rookie Review: Edge Rushers
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