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Being able to know the top young and ascending talent is the key to competing on a year-by-year basis in dynasty leagues. There are plenty of young IDP players out there. However, you acquire this talent is up to you. Whether it be through trades or through rookie drafts, knowing who these players are is imperative. Here are the top 10 IDP players under the age of 25.
10) S Talanoa Hufanga, San Francisco 49ers - 24 Years Old
Hufanga was one of the steals of the 2022 NFL Draft. After winning the PAC-12 Defensive Player of the Year honors in his final collegiate season, Hufanga dropped to the 5th round of the draft due to concerns with his overall athletic profile. Let's just say he made probably close to 160 picks look terrible. After a rookie season being used as a role player, Hufanga made a huge year-two leap. In 2022, Hufanga finished with 95 tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, four interceptions, and nine passes defended en route to First-Team All-Pro status. At just 24 years old, the sky is the limit for Hufanga.
9) LB Jack Campbell, Detroit Lions - 22 Years Old
Jack Campbell makes this list without playing an NFL regular season snap yet. It is his potential and landing spot, matched with his youth, that lands him here. The Lions' top linebacker is, and it pains me to say, Alex Anzalone. No offense to Anzalone, but he is far from a complete linebacker. Campbell already showcased in one pre-season game that he has terrific block-shedding skills and above-average coverage ability. Being the leader of the ascending Lions defense is in the near future for Campbell, as well as an every-down role. Lock him up.
8) S Jalen Pitre, Houston Texans - 24 Years Old
There are two stipulations that have Pitre sitting this low. First, he plays the position of least importance, defensive back. Second, he has a new coach. Pitre was a revelation in 2022 with 147 tackles, with passes defended, and five interceptions. The problem was that he had a missed tackle rate of 19.9%. Demeco Ryans may not be too keen on this. Still, Pitre showed an unbelievable knack for finding the football and making plays. If he can clean up his tackling, Pitre has DB1 overall potential.
7) EDGE Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans - 21 Years Old
Anderson is probably the best defensive player we have seen drafted since Micah Parsons, and Parsons is probably the best NFL comparison for him. So much so that without playing a single snap, he is #7 in my top 10 players under 25 years old. Over his three-year SEC career at Alabama, Anderson racked up 204 tackles, 58.5 tackles for a loss, and 34.5 sacks. He packs a pass-rush arsenal that is complete with fluid bend, power-rush, as well as speed. Add the fact that he has off-ball linebacker potential, and Anderson could have an unbelievable career.
6) EDGE Jaelan Phillips, Miami Dolphins - 24 Years Old
Phillips is one player whose abilities have not quite turned in the results you would hope for in an elite-level edge defender. Phillips is an elite edge defender with pass-rush moves for days. I have been a huge fan of his since his days at the University of Miami. His sack numbers have not been eye-popping, but he has had seven or more sacks in each of his first two seasons. His tackle rate increased by 33% from his rookie season to his second year, showing a better understanding of NFL game speed. Phillips has all the tools to be elite; he just needs to put it all together.
5) LB Quay Walker, Green Bay Packers - 23 Years Old
Walker may have seemed like a reach in the 2022 NFL Draft, not because of his talent, but because it seemed that the Packers had bigger needs to draft in the 1st round that was not a linebacker. He proved me, and many others, wrong. Walker was nothing short of spectacular as a rookie. He finished with 119 tackles, one and a half sacks, three forced fumbles, and seven passes defended in 2022. The Packers have so much faith in the second-year linebacker that he has been the play-caller, or linebacker with the green dot, in the preseason. His role is only going to expand with Green Bay.
4) EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux, New York Giants - 22 Years Old
Thibodeaux is a freak of nature. He packs elite athleticism into a 6-foot-5 and 258-pound frame. He had a slow start to his rookie season due to lingering injuries. His upside popped at the end of the season, though, from Weeks 15-17. During that three-game span, he accumulated 23 tackles, two sacks, one pass defended, and a touchdown. His 12-tack performance shows an unreal tackle floor for an edge defender, something that shoots him up this list. Thibodeaux has been lights out this pre-season as well. 2023 will be a big year for the edge rusher.
3) EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions - 23 Years Old
Hutchinson barely showed any signs of difficulty transitioning from college to the NFL. He finished his rookie season with 52 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and three interceptions. Hutchinson showed elite-level playmaking as well as a solid tackle floor. The Lions organization seems to be one of the better organizations in the NFL right now, at least in terms of getting the best out of its players. Hutchinson likely will continue to progress and has top-5 edge rusher potential.
2) LB Nick Bolton, Kansas City Chiefs - 23 Years Old
Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has made it extraordinarily difficult to trust his linebackers in fantasy since he has come to Kansas City. Two years ago, the Chiefs drafted Nick Bolton, and he has not disappointed. So much that even Coach Spagnuolo can't take him off the field. As a rookie, Bolton was one of, if not the most, efficient tacklers in the NFL. This carried over into his second season, where tallied 180 tackles, good enough for second most in the NFL and only four shy of the league lead. Bolton also showed vast improvement in his playmaking his sophomore season, racking up two sacks, two interceptions, and six passes defended. He is one of the best defenders in the NFL at just 23 years old.
1) EDGE Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys - 24 Years Old
Parsons is an unbelievable talent. He has the athletic ability to play inside/off-ball linebacker, as well as the instincts to be a playmaker at every level in the front seven. The Cowboys had unbelievable luck when Parsons fell to them in the draft. Over his first two seasons, he has produced 148 tackles and 26.5 sacks. Parsons has proven to be one of the best pass-rushers on the best pass-rushing defense in the NFL. With his high-tackle upside mixed with his unlimited pass-rushing skills, Parsons has legitimate IDP1 overall potential at just 24 years old.
Final Thoughts
As mentioned earlier, to be successful in dynasty leagues, you need to be able to draft or acquire young and ascending talent. All of these players come with a pretty hefty price tag, which makes trading for them incredibly difficult. It does allow you to create some solid return on investment, though I do not recommend trading these guys unless you get close to a king's ransom. Thanks again for reading my content, and good luck in 2023.