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2024 IDP Rookie Review: Edge Rushers

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Jared Verse | Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Jason King Posted On March 15, 2025
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No IDPs have dynasty staying power quite like edge rushers. Once an edge shows us attributes that lead to fantasy production, he’s typically on an upward path or in a spot for sustained production before the decline begins around age 30. That’s why, except maybe in leagues that employ scoring systems heavily tilted toward tackles, edge rushers tend to be valued at a higher level as dynasty assets, So each off-season, after putting a year’s worth of work on film, the rookie edge class is worth a good hard look. It helps with staying ahead of the market on perceived value.

And, in larger leagues, it helps to know which rookies show potential for a larger impact as we make decisions on who gets the boot to clear roster space for this year’s rookie class. That’s why I go pretty deep on these positional reviews. Part one focused on the interior defensive linemen. Next up I’ll dig into the off-ball linebackers, and finally the safeties.

About the Series and Statistics

Before getting into the rankings and brief reviews, credit goes to Pro Football Reference (PFR) for all statistics except for pressures, which come via Pro Football Focus (PFF). The “backfield disruption score” is quarterback hits plus tackles for loss, divided by snaps and multiplied by 100. (See the 2022 edge review for an explanation. I was referring to it as “plays in the backfield” at that time) If you want to see how this plays out among edge rushers in 2024, the top ten (400 snaps minimum) looks like this:

  1. Trey Hendrickson, CIN (6.68)
  2. Will Anderson Jr, HOU (6.24)
  3. Myles Garrett, CLE (6.08)
  4. Nik Bonitto, DEN (5.65)
  5. Nick Bosa, SF (5.63)
  6. Kyle Van Noy, BAL (5.56)
  7. Gregory Rousseau, BUF (5.44)
  8. Danielle Hunter, HOU (5.22)
  9. Micah Parsons, DAL (5.04)
  10. Odafe Oweh, BAL (5.03)

Examples of players at the bottom of this list include a couple of linemen who lined up a decent amount over the tackle or in the B gap – Jacksonville’s Arik Armstead (1.76) and Dallas’ Chauncey Golston (1.65) – as well as the Rams’ Michael Hoecht (1.57), the Buccaneers’ Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (1.30) and the Falcons’ Lorenzo Carter (0.98).

Tier One: Elite Assets

In each of the past four drafts, we’ve gotten an elite IDP asset (at least in my opinion), and they’re all edge rushers: Micah Parsons, Aidan Hutchinson, Will Anderson, and now…

1. Jared Verse, LAR

  • Drafted: first round, No. 19 overall pick (Florida State via Albany)
  • Listed height and weight: 6-4, 250
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2025 season: 24 (turns 25 on November 4)

Stats to know:

  • played in all 17 games; 834 defensive snaps (75 percent snap share)
  • 77 pressures; four-and-a-half sacks; 18 quarterback hits; 11 tackles for loss
  • Backfield disruption score: 3.48
  • 36 solo tackles, 30 assists; 17 missed tackles (20.5 percent missed tackle rate)

As mentioned at the top of the review of rookie interior defensive linemen, trust in Les Snead, Sean McVay and the Rams decision-makers. Do this, and you’ll be OK in your rookie drafts. Paired with his former Florida State teammate and friend Braden Fiske, Verse couldn’t have been dropped into a more perfect situation as a rookie in terms of opportunity (he led all rookie edges in snaps played – more than 215 more than the runner-up), and quality of franchise and coaching.

What gives me confidence in Verse maintaining his status as an elite IDP asset is sheer will. The violence in his game shines through, as does the footwork to get tackles off-balance, and speed-to-power that creates instant and sustained backward movement of an opposing lineman or tight end. Whether it’s watching him play or learning about his mindset, it’s clear to me Verse is an edge with an edge, and it drives him in preparation and in play to wear down and dominate the opposition.

For dynasty, I have him just behind Hutchinson, Anderson and Parsons, and due to age just ahead of Maxx Crosby and Nick Bosa in my rankings – although I think you could logically rank those six in any order.

For entertainment’s sake, check out the Vikings thinking back in week eight they might block Verse with a tight end double-team:

And here’s a great breakdown of a week nine sack of Seattle’s Geno Smith, showcasing explosive power, violent hands and balance:

Tier Two: Current or Future Fantasy Starters

Ultimately in this tier I’m looking for current or future fantasy DE2s. We have that and potentially more with Robinson, Turner and Latu, all of whom have potential to join Verse in the elite tier.

2. Chop Robinson, MIA

  • Drafted: first round, No. 21 overall pick (Penn State via Maryland)
  • Listed height and weight: 6-3, 254
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2025 season: 22

Stats to know:

  • played all 17 games; 618 defensive snaps (54 percent snap share)
  • 56 pressures; six sacks; 14 quarterback hits; eight tackles for loss
  • Backfield disruption score: 3.89
  • 16 solo tackles, ten assists; five missed tackles (16.1 percent missed tackle rate)

Speed kills, and Robinson has it in spades. It was enough to help the 21-year-old rookie overcome concerns about his weight and power, and gave the IDP community a taste of Chop’s elite upside as a wide-nine pass rusher.

You can see in the following two clips just how quickly he explodes out of his stance and eats up the distance to the quarterback. If you’re too slow to gain depth or engage Robinson, as Morgan Moses found out in the first clip, Chop will turn the corner quickly. If you overset because of that speed, as the Rams’ Joe Noteboom does in the second clip, he’ll spring inside.

https://twitter.com/PFF_RyanSmith/status/1866864186892153305/

 

https://twitter.com/PFF_RyanSmith/status/1856381088232276451/

 

As nice as a rookie season as he had, it wasn’t obvious until halfway through the schedule. Through nine weeks, Robinson managed one sack on 14 pressures. The back half was much better, with Robinson picking up five sacks on 42 pressures. If the development curve continues to rocket upward, and we see refined moves and increased short-distance power, Robinson will be quickly pushing for elite IDP status.

3. Dallas Turner, MIN

  • Drafted: first round, No. 17 overall pick (Alabama)
  • Listed height and weight: 6-3, 247
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2025 season: 22

Stats to know:

  • played 16 games; 300 defensive snaps (28 percent snap share)
  • 12 pressures; three sacks; five quarterback hits; three tackles for loss
  • Backfield disruption score: 2.65
  • 12 solo tackles, eight assists; one missed tackle (4.8 percent missed tackle rate)

The knock on Turner coming into the draft was a lack of power, and that was fair given his age. Like Robinson, his quick release off the line and ability to closely quickly on the ball were evidenced early. Granted this is from preseason, but it’s a good example of the explosion and ability to win the edge quickly and keep his balance to pick up a sack:

 

Turner may very well have had a season on par with Robinson’s had the Vikings not been blessed with great production from Andrew Van Ginkel playing opposite stud Jonathan Greenard. So despite the slow start to his career statistically, there’s no evidence of anything to be concerned about with Turner’s value as a future IDP starter. Van Ginkel is 30 and under contract for just another season, and Pat Jones II – also unexpectedly productive – is a free agent. Buy if you find any nervous Turner managers, but I don’t think you’ll find any.

4. Laiatu Latu, IND

  • Drafted: first round, No. 15 overall pick (UCLA via Washington)
  • Listed height and weight: 6-5, 265
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2025 season: 24

Stats to know:

  • played all 17 games; 618 defensive snaps (54 percent snap share)
  • 38 pressures; four sacks; 12 quarterback hits; five tackles for loss
  • Backfield disruption score: 2.75
  • 16 solo tackles, 16 assists; five missed tackles (13.5 percent missed tackle rate)

Latu didn’t quite have the immediate impact that I expected given his age, size and repertoire of pass rush moves. He was still an NFL rookie, so it wasn’t like I thought he would make the Pro Bowl. But too often I saw him locked up by a tackle and rendered obsolete once he couldn’t disengage (sub-33-inch arms don’t help his cause). It was enough for me to drop Latu behind both Robinson and Turner – each of whom are two years younger than Latu – in these rankings.

Latu had his best game of the season in week 12 against Detroit, and put down nice reps against Pro Bowlers Penei Sewell and Taylor Decker en route to a sack on five pressures.

 

5. Marshawn Kneeland, DAL

  • Drafted: second round, No. 56 overall pick (Western Michigan)
  • Listed height and weight: 6-3, 268
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2025 season: 24

Stats to know:

  • played 11 games; 256 defensive snaps (36 percent snap share)
  • 11 pressures; zero sacks; three quarterback hits; two tackles for loss
  • Backfield disruption score: 1.96
  • nine solo tackles, five assists; three missed tackles (17.6 percent missed tackle rate)

Kneeland came out of the gate hot in week one against Cleveland, flashing adequate power, pursuit speed and versatility (with nine of his 44 snaps coming at three- or four-technique). Dallas had built a big lead quickly, allowing for plenty of pass rush opportunity, and Kneeland finished with five pressures. That was his best outing of a season interrupted by a partial tear of his right lateral meniscus in week five. Kneeland played in six of Dallas’ final seven games, but was never as effective as he was in week one.

Ultimately I have a lot of trust in Kneeland’s development moving forward based on his early play. He’s big with long, 34.5-inch arms, has active hands, and doesn’t take plays off. I’m anticipating Kneeland leading the way among Cowboy edges other than Micah Parsons in what should be a big season of growth. For fantasy, I’m banking on getting spot starts from Kneeland in 2025 with a shot at mostly regular DE2 usage afterward. Ultimately he’s a big tier below Robinson, Latu and Turner, but I still see him as a future fantasy starter.

Tier Three: Worthy of a Roster Spot

There are enough reasons to like each of these edge rushers 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 ten- or 12-team leagues that lump defensive linemen together, they’re probably just waiver wire guys worth keeping an eye on.

6. Jalyx Hunt, PHI

  • Drafted: third round, No. 94 overall pick (Houston Christian via Cornell)
  • Listed height and weight: 6-3, 252
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2025 season: 24

Stats to know:

  • played 16 games; 241 defensive snaps (25 percent snap share)
  • ten pressures; one-and-a-half sacks; three quarterback hits; one tackle for loss
  • Backfield disruption score: 1.67
  • 12 solo tackles, nine assists; one missed tackle (4.5 percent missed tackle rate)

Hunt wasn’t overly productive as a rookie, but he impressed nevertheless and even picked up a sack of Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl after knocking Joe Thuney off-balance. Flashing flexible speed with adequate power, Hunt provided all indicators of a future starter while working in behind veterans Josh Sweat and Charles Harris (both free agents), Brandon Graham (expected to retire), plus second-year breakout Nolan Smith and high-dollar bust Bryce Huff. With a good off-season, Hunt is closer to 500 snaps than you might think.

And if you think the Eagles just lined up Hunt out wide and let him pin his ears back, guess again. I really like this effort against the Steelers, where he slides down into a two-hands-in-the-dirt five-technique, and knocks backward and sheds left tackle Dan Moore before holding Jaylen Warren to a short gain:

 

7. Jonah Elliss, DEN

  • Drafted: third round, No. 76 overall pick (Utah)
  • Listed height and weight: 6-2, 246
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2025 season: 22

Stats to know:

  • played all 17 games; 434 defensive snaps (38 percent snap share)
  • 20 pressures; five sacks; six quarterback hits; seven tackles for loss
  • Backfield disruption score: 2.98
  • 24 solo tackles, 14 assists; one missed tackle (2.6 percent missed tackle rate)

“Active” is an appropriate descriptor for Elliss, whose max-effort, hands-flying style translated from college to the pros. Finding his groove as the third edge following the Baron Browning trade, Elliss was productive in the sack department, and reached a good rate of quarterback hits and tackles for loss per snap on a Broncos defense that was among the top five in the NFL – and on a defensive line that paced the NFL in sacks and pressures.

There’s plenty to like about Elliss as a rookie, and I do like his dynasty outlook if he can continue to add weight in order to round out his game as a run defender. I do believe we’re in for some regression during his second season though, potentially creating a buying opportunity for long-term investors. As a measure of potential sack regression, add quarterback hits and hurries (along with sacks, PFF’s metrics that make up pressure total), and divide by official sacks. Elliss ranked sixth among all edge rushers playing more than 250 snaps with a .357 ratio. That is, if he plays the same number of snaps next year, a more statistical norm for his pressure success would be about three sacks. Since Elliss is more or less stuck for the foreseeable future playing as a rotational third edge behind Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper, upside from a snaps standpoint is going to be limited as well.

Knowing all this, active traders may want to explore unloading shares of Elliss this off-season, with an eye toward getting back in over the next two off-seasons. For the rest of us, Elliss makes for a nice hold.

8. Chris Braswell, TB

  • Drafted: second round, No. 57 overall pick (Alabama)
  • Listed height and weight: 6-3, 255
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2025 season: 23 (will turn 24 on October 25)

Stats to know:

  • played all 17 games; 329 defensive snaps (30 percent snap share)
  • 19 pressures; one-and-a-half sacks; eight quarterback hits; one tackle for loss
  • Backfield disruption score: 2.74
  • 11 solo tackles, seven assists; one missed tackle (5.3 percent missed tackle rate)

Taken as a whole, Braswell left much to be desired as a rookie. He stepped into a good situation, with Joe Tryon-Shoyinka’s time in Tampa wrapping up and otherwise only Anthony Nelson to do battle with for snaps opposite YaYa Diaby. Braswell ended up as the clear No. 4 in the rotation.

Bucs General Manager Jason Licht was specifically asked about Braswell during his NFL Combine interview, and predictably he was optimistic for the rising second-year edge: “I think he has all the traits both as a person and a player to make a big jump.

“Sometimes you’ve got to get used to the pace of the game, the speed of the game, the physicality. There’s a lot of intricacies and variables in the defense. It can overwhelm a lot of people. He’s not one that’s going to be overwhelmed this year.”

That could be true, and catching up mentally to assignments, and the strengths and weaknesses of opposing linemen seems to be what Licht is getting at. If you wish to continue to view Braswell through pewter-colored glasses, he had one of his better outings in week 17 against the Panthers, when he notched is lone solo sack of the season:

 

While the power seems adequate, I struggle so far to see elite burst and speed. Maybe that will come in time, but I worry that he’s the second coming of Tryon-Shoyinka – an edge with explosive testing who struggles to translate it into outstanding pass rush qualities.

9. Austin Booker, CHI

  • Drafted: fifth round, No. 144 overall pick (Kansas via Minnesota)
  • Listed height and weight: 6-6, 245
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2025 season: 22 (turns 23 on December 14)

Stats to know:

  • played all 17 games; 283 defensive snaps (27 percent snap share)
  • ten pressures; one-and-a-half sacks; four quarterback hits; three tackles for loss
  • Backfield disruption score: 2.47
  • 14 solo tackles, seven assists; four missed tackles (16 percent missed tackle rate)

With the Bears already moving on from DeMarcus Walker and Darrell Taylor hitting free agency, we could see Booker as the No. 3 edge in the Windy City late next season – and he has potential to be a difference maker before his rookie contract runs out. Given his speed, non-stop effort, and ability to get to the edge and flatten to the quarterback, Booker certainly showed at times he was capable of disrupting the pocket. What’s really missing is bulk on a long, lanky frame – something Booker needs to prioritize, especially now that Dennis Allen is Chicago’s defensive coordinator. Patience is required, but there’s potential for a nice reward.

10. Bralen Trice, ATL: Trice was by no means a slam-dunk prospect, but the third-rounder stood to figure in heavily on a Falcons defense bereft of edge rush talent. It never happened, as Trice suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the first half of Atlanta’s week one preseason game. The good news here is that Trice’s injury will be 13 months in the past by the time the 2025 season kicks off, and only one of Atlanta’s top four edges in 2024 (Arnold Ebeketie) is currently under contract. Trice won’t be handed a starting job of course, but the opportunity for volume is evident.

11. Javon Solomon, BUF

  • Drafted: fifth round, No. 168 overall pick (Troy)
  • Listed height and weight: 6-1, 247
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2025 season: 24

Stats to know:

  • played 14 games; 134 defensive snaps (15 percent snap share)
  • 14 pressures; two sacks; six quarterback hits; three tackles for loss
  • Backfield disruption score: 6.67
  • nine solo tackles, four assists; three missed tackles (18.8 percent missed tackle rate)

Solomon had a pretty interesting first year and one that I think shows promise for the fifth rounder to develop into a No. 3 edge option in time. At 6-foot-1 Solomon is on the short side but somewhat makes up for his lack of height with arms that measure a shade under 34 inches. While he has good speed and power, his rush all too often stalls out against stronger tackles. Still, Solomon had a great backfield disruption score, mostly thanks to a big week 18 (seven pressures, eight total tackles and a fumble recovery on 59 defensive snaps)) against Joe Milton and a porous New England offensive line. Both Gregory Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa are in contract years, while Von Miller stands to become a cap casualty. The Bills are sure to add notable edge rush help via trade, free agency or the draft, so don’t expect Solomon to be anything more than the No. 4 in 2025.

12. Adisa Isaac, BAL: Isaac’s year one was no doubt a bust, as the Penn State product saw just 32 defensive snaps and was inactive for 13 games. The third-rounder did suffer a hamstring injury just prior to week one, and there was too much to like about Isaac as a prospect though – notably, length (6-foot-4, 81-inch wingspan), ability to flatten off the edge, and outstanding motor. So I still see some reason for optimism here, especially given the current state of Baltimore’s outside linebacker unit: Odafe Oweh and David Ojabo are entering the final years on their respective rookie deals, and Kyle Van Noy is 34. The Ravens seem likely to address this position early in the draft, but there’s a path to 450 snaps by 2026 for those who have the luxury of being patient with the roster spot.

13. Cedric Johnson, CIN: The third-rounder out of Ole Miss may have only played 83 defensive snaps, but he certainly made a good impression. Johnson pairs good size (6-foot-3, 260) and length with non-stop effort, and it helped him to five pressures (four quarterback hits) and seven total tackles. He chased down a scrambling Bo Nix for a sack in week 17, and Johnson finished strong with almost all of his production coming during the final four games of the season. With a trade sending Trey Hendrickson out of town looking inevitable and Sam Hubbard moving on with his life’s work, opportunity exists in Cincinnati for a decent role for Johnson in 2025. Though the Bengals are sure to add at least one edge rusher via free agency or trade, plus another likely in the draft, Joseph Ossai is a free agent and Myles Murphy has done little to justify his first-round draft capital. Johnson probably belongs in the “Watch List” tier but at the time of this writing he’s worthy of a roster spot just based on the unknowns.

Tier Four: Watch List

If you’re in a 14- or 16-team league, or a league with a lot of roster spots and/or oversized taxi squads, you could consider rostering the edge rushers in this tier based on draft capital or brief flashes in their rookie seasons. Otherwise you’re better off using your roster spots on other positions.

14. Xavier Thomas, ARI

  • Drafted: fifth round, No. 138 overall pick (Clemson)
  • Listed height and weight: 6-2, 244
  • Age prior to kickoff of 2025 season: 25 (turns 26 on December 20)

Stats to know:

  • played 14 games; 208 defensive snaps (24 percent snap share)
  • 11 pressures; two-and-a-half sacks; four quarterback hits; two tackles for loss
  • Backfield disruption score: 2.89
  • six solo tackles, four assists; one missed tackle (9.1 percent missed tackle rate)

Arizona rolled out a lot of outside linebackers in its search for a more effective pass rush in 2024, and ultimately found no great answers. You could make a decent argument that Thomas should have seen more than his 208 snaps, and the Clemson product certainly flashed at times with an ability to create pressure with speed to power, and win the edge with burst off the line. Thomas had a two-game heater mid-season with a sack-and-a-half against Caleb Williams and the Bears (this recap of Arizona’s sacks against Chicago shows one sack was – shocking I know – on the rookie quarterback), and a week ten strip sack of a scrambling Aaron Rodgers:

https://twitter.com/PHNX_Cardinals/status/1855751380193169878/video/1

 

Even after bringing back Baron Browning, the Cardinals seem likely to add a quality edge rusher in either free agency or via the draft. B.J. Ojulari should return from a torn ACL he suffered in early August, and Arizona’s 2024 edge snap leader Zaven Collins is under contract. Thomas (already on the older side at 25) looks primed to see a slightly larger role as a fourth or fifth option in the edge rotation.

15. Javontae Jean-Baptiste, WAS: Jean-Baptiste saw a decent amount of work (194 snaps) but didn’t exactly light the NFL on fire with five pressures and a sack among his 13 total tackles. Washington was one of the NFL’s worst run defenses in 2024, and the perimeter was the weak spot (remember that toss that Saquan Barkley took 60 yards to the house on Philadelphia’s first play of the NFC Championship game?). Dante Fowler Jr. and Clelin Ferrell are free agents, currently leaving Dorrance Armstrong looking lonely at edge – other than Jean-Baptiste. The seventh-rounder isn’t the answer, as Washington will likely spend early draft capital on an edge and sign reinforcements in free agency. JJB’s most likely role as a sophomore is as a backup edge with a shot at fantasy relevance if injuries decimate the two or three options ahead of him.

Tier Five: Not Worth Rostering

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

16-17. Eric Watts and Braiden McGregor, NYJ: Pretty much everything Jets-related left much to be desired in 2024, and that includes this pair of undrafted free agents. Watts at least played a good bit (231 defensive snaps over ten games), but with five pressures and 13 total tackles, he was just a body. And most weeks, the Jets were more interested in seeing what former first-round off-ball bust Jamin Davis could bring to the table instead of McGregor (three pressures and six total tackles on 83 defensive snaps).

Both at least have good 4-3 edge size: Watts at 6-foot-5, 277, and McGregor at 6-foot-6, 267. On the flip side, it’s a real unknown how the new coaching staff (led by Aaron Glenn and defensive coordinator Steve Wilks) will view either. Of the two, I prefer Watts as the more intriguing prospect.

18-19. Gabriel Murphy and Bo Richter, MIN: I hate to lump a couple of undrafted Vikings together, but both were labeled as tweeners as prospects, and both showed some semblance of belonging in brief looks. Murphy, the better of the UCLA twins (Grayson made the Dolphins as an undrafted free agent but spent all of 2024 on injured reserve), picked up a solo tackle and quarterback hit over 28 snaps in week 14. It was the only action he saw on defense all season. Richter was primarily a special teams contributor – one the Vikings seemed particularly happy with – and also saw minimal snaps on defense (29).

Both as prospects were quick, high-effort players. But both were older (will be 25 by mid-October) and seen as positional tweeners due to lack of length (both have sub-31-inch arms) and maxed-out frames that are sub-250 pounds. I could see either or both as 250-snap pass rush specialists behind Andrew Van Ginkel plus long-term starters Dallas Turner and Jonathan Greenard, but there’s not enough upside to warrant anything higher.

20. Mohamed Kamara, MIA: He was just a fifth-round pick, but admittedly I expected more from Kamara as a rookie – 26 defensive snaps over four games with just two pressures and one assisted tackle to show for it – considering Bradley Chubb missed the entire season and Jaelan Phillips played just four games. Kamara will play his sophomore season as a 25-year-old, and he’s limited in length (6-foot-1 and sub-33-inch arms). His mad-man play style makes him fun to root for, but there doesn’t seem to be high-enough upside for Kamara to justify roster consideration despite some flashes in week seven against the Colts.

21. Brennan Jackson, LAR: I’m not that interested and I’d probably be less interested in Jackson had a team other than the Rams drafted him (fifth round, No. 154 overall). The Washington State alum doesn’t offer anything more than a strong, workhorse play style. As his stat line indicates (three total tackles while playing just 47 defensive snaps on the season), flashes are few and far between. He did get a start and played 27 snaps in the season finale, but managed just one pressure. Jackson figures to work in as a fourth or fifth edge as an older (turns 25 in mid-October), second-year edge.

22. Myles Cole, JAC: Cole’s calling card as a draftable prospect was length (6-foot-6, and arms measuring almost 37 inches) and size (278 pounds). Even with these gifts, he was never that effective at either Louisiana-Monroe or Texas Tech. It shouldn’t be surprising then that the seventh-round pick didn’t offer much as an NFL rookie, with just one pressure and eight total tackles on 135 defensive snaps (six games). Already entering his age 25 season, it’s more than fair to question whether Cole will ever see enough coaching and opportunity to reach the fantasy radar. I’m betting against it.

23. Solomon Byrd, HOU: Byrd spent the season’s first 17 weeks on Houston’s practice squad before seeing 20 defensive snaps in week 18 against Tennessee. He turned the corner on a backup right tackle and landed a hit on quarterback Will Levis to force an errant throw, but otherwise we don’t have much to judge the seventh-round pick. Byrd signed to a Reserve/Future contract with the team in late January. Admittedly I was a fan of his play-style in college and I’m rooting for him, but Byrd is a long-shot to ever have fantasy value.

24. Jaylen Harrell, TEN: The Titans struggled mightily to find rotational help on the edge behind Harold Landry III and Arden Key, and as a result, Harrell, a seventh-round pick out of Michigan, saw opportunity (287 snaps). Unfortunately Tennessee saw little production, as Harrell managed just five pressures and 13 total tackles. That the 22-year-old rookie could do little with a decent opportunity does not bode well for his future – particularly given the change in Nashville’s front office – even with Landry exiting Nashville.

25. Isaac Ukwu, DET: Ukwu was called up from the Lions’ practice squad for weeks six and seven and played 70 snaps, getting credit for a pressure and three total tackles. Though he managed snap shares of 52 percent and 57 percent in those two games, Ukwa was undrafted and unheralded. Plus, he’s already 26.

Jason King
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