The 2024 NFL Draft is behind us, and it’s time to take a look at some of the impact IDPs out there, with a few sleepers mixed in for good measure. Let’s move on to the linebackers.
If you want to reference our defensive rookie rankings, they can be found here.
High-Impact IDP Rookie LBs With Great Landing Spots
Edgerrin Cooper, Green Bay
Cooper is slated to start for the Packers but will share tackle and big-play opportunities with the very talented Quay Walker. The fact that Cooper’s penciled in at middle linebacker, though, makes him the most desirable linebacker (and IDP, overall, probably) in this draft class. Cooper is incredibly rangy, standing at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, and even at that size exhibits excellent speed and change of direction to be able to get to the ball carrier. Even competing with Walker for fantasy production, Cooper should provide his owners with solid value in redraft and dynasty formats alike from the get-go.
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Junior Colson, LA Chargers
This is a good spot for Colson to land in, joining his old college coach, Jim Harbaugh. For now, Colson will sit and learn behind Denzel Perryman, but Perryman has bounced around for the past several years and will turn 32 during the upcoming season (and Perryman is only signed to a one-year deal). Look for Colson to likely be the green dot linebacker for the Bolts after this season. Colson has an adequate size and speed profile and exhibits strong instincts to get to the ball carrier. He may not produce Year 1, but by next season, he should be a strong LB2 in most formats.
High-Upside IDP Rookie LBs
Payton Wilson, Pittsburgh
It's not a super-great landing spot, considering the Steelers spent $41MM on Patrick Queen, who himself is a great playmaking linebacker, but Wilson has shown that he can blow plays up. There are some injury concerns with Wilson (the guy is missing an ACL in one of his knees), but his college production speaks for itself. Another minor concern is age (he’s 24), but if he gets on the field regularly within a year or two, that won’t really matter. Right now, the two-down thumper Elandon Roberts is penciled in next to Queen as a starter, but eventually, Wilson will prove too valuable overall to keep off the field. Wilson excels both in run and pass coverage and even has some decent pass-rush ability. Colson and Cooper probably have safer floors, but Wilson might actually have the most upside in this linebacker class.
Trevin Wallace, Carolina
Another high-upside linebacker in this class is the ex-Kentucky Wildcat. He’s well-built at a solid 6-foot-1 and 245 pounds but still possesses good lateral quickness. He doesn’t have the sideline-to-sideline coverage ability that Wilson, Colson, and Cooper exhibit, but he’s definitely got tools to work with. Right now, the Panther linebackers of note consist of Shaq Thompson, who’s battled both injury and only mediocre play the past few seasons, and the recent add Josey Jewell. With a new regime in place for the franchise, Wallace will definitely get a shot to play right away or at least be in a rotation. If you miss out on the big three and want to wait until later rounds to pick a linebacker in this overall weak class, Wallace should be a target.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Philadelphia
Another nice name to watch in the later rounds is the son of Eagle legend Jeremiah Trotter. Unfortunately for the junior Trotter, he’ll be buried behind Devin White and Nakobe Dean for now. Trotter is incredibly athletic, although perhaps slightly undersized at just 6-foot-0 on the nose. Unlike Wallace, though, he has better sideline-to-sideline capabilities, so he may actually have a little more upside. There have been some Patrick Queen comparisons, pointing to good longer-term value here. If you’re in no need for your drafted linebacker to make immediate impacts, and he can chill on the taxi squad for a while, Trotter is actually a great selection in all formats.
Tyrice Knight, Seattle
While this class may not have a ton of punch (or depth), there are a few linebackers who find themselves "one injury away" from significant playing time and fantasy value. Another such ‘backer is the ex-UTEP star. Knight excels in zone coverage and will spend his rookie season sitting behind Tyrel Dodson, who is new to the Seahawks himself. Dodson was a hot commodity this time last season for the Bills but never really broke out, so if Dodson continues to be just average, Knight may see significant playing time sooner rather than later. Scouts rave about Knight’s football IQ, and he diagnoses run plays quickly, especially in zone coverage. Check out some of Knight's highlights here.
Ty'Ron Hopper, Green Bay
Had he gone to a team that didn’t draft a linebacker in an earlier round (see Edgerrin Cooper above), we’d be much higher on the ex-Mizzou product. Hopper has excellent speed and is super physical in coverage despite a slimmer frame. For now, he will serve as a backup to Quay Walker. He’s a stash-and-hold type that you can likely grab towards the end of your rookie draft. But know that he certainly has a good physical profile and would excel if Walker were to go down with a significant injury.