The NFL draft never disappoints us football lovers, as it brings plenty of excitement, surprises, and great storylines. For this article, we will look at some of the IDP fantasy football ramifications from what occurred in the first round Thursday night. Which players saw a boost in value? Which players potentially took a hit? Let's dive in!

IDP Winners

Travis Hunter (CB/WR-JAX) - The Jacksonville Jaguars pushed their chips in to get the talented Travis Hunter, sending the fifth overall pick, their second-round and fourth-round picks, and their 2026 first-round pick for Cleveland’s second overall pick, along with their fourth and sixth-round picks this year. It was an aggressive move to acquire a player with such alluring potential on both sides of the ball. 

The early buzz from Jacksonville head coach Liam Coen is that Hunter will primarily focus on offense first, while also becoming familiar with the Jaguars' defensive scheme. Jacksonville General Manager James Gladstone also praised Hunter’s skills on both sides of the ball. Since this is an IDP article, I won’t delve into why we should be excited about Hunter as a wide receiver, as the great Sigmund Bloom covered that excellently in his article. However, the fact that it seems Hunter will receive some playing time on defense at cornerback presents an opportunity for him to obtain dual eligibility on certain platforms and/or earn points from both sides of the ball in other leagues that allow it. The real winners for the sake of this article might just be us IDP gamers, as this landing spot generates even more excitement for a player with talent we may never see again.

James Pearce Jr. (EDGE-ATL) - After already drafting Jalon Walker at 15th overall to add to their defense, the Falcons aggressively traded up to get James Pearce Jr. as well. Atlanta gave up their second and seventh-round picks this year, along with their 2026 first-round pick, for the Rams' 26th overall pick and third-round pick this year. 

Atlanta’s pass rush unit needed significant reinforcements. Pearce has a long, lean build and possesses serious speed and burst off the snap. Given the weak depth chart, Pearce has a strong shot at making a significant impact as a designated pass rusher right away as a rookie. For the long haul, Atlanta’s investment in Pearce gives us optimism that he can develop as a run defender and handle more than just pass rush duties in time. 

Shemar Stewart (EDGE-CIN) - With Sam Hubbard retiring and Trey Hendrickson’s troubled contract situation, it’s no surprise Cincinnati hit the edge-rusher pool early in the draft. Shemar Stewart has all the traits you look for: size, speed, length, athleticism, etc. However, he has just four-and-a-half sacks over his three seasons at Texas A&M. While the production may be a projection, he lands in a spot where he should get the opportunity to answer those questions and develop under new defensive coordinator Al Golden. And just maybe he’ll get to learn from 2024 NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson if the team can mend the situation. 

Derrick Harmon (DT-PIT) - The Steelers hit the trenches in the first round, adding the big, versatile Derrick Harmon to their defensive front. Harmon can be shifted along the Steelers' defensive line and is an interior disruptor who generated an FBS-leading 55 pressures among interior defensive linemen, per PFF. And who better to learn from than Cameron Heyward, who continues to dominate at age 35. Harmon is someone to put on your watchlist for your IDP true-position or DT-required rookie drafts. 

Jihaad Campbell (LB-PHI) - While Campbell might have slipped to the end of the first round due to concerns about his shoulder, he still garnered first-round capital in a solid situation. How the Eagles plan to utilize Campbell will be something to watch as things progress, as they have said they like his versatility at both off-ball linebacker and edge rusher. However, while Zack Baun has been paid and is cemented to his role, Nakobe Dean suffered a late-season patellar injury, and his timeline is a bit unknown.

Speaking of Zack Baun, when looking at his skill set, he was a player noted for his versatility and ability to play off-ball as well as rush the passer coming out of college. However, he never maintained a consistent role until he played under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio last season and delivered a first-team All-Pro campaign. It seems that Fangio will know how to utilize Campbell’s skill set, and the Dean injury situation could provide him with an opportunity to see meaningful snaps early on if he’s ready. However, let’s keep a close eye on the news surrounding Campbell’s utilization when the offseason programs begin.

IDP Losers

Nakobe Dean (LB-PHI) - Dean suffered an unfortunate torn patellar knee injury during the Eagles’ playoff game against Green Bay in January. The timing of the injury puts his availability for the start of the 2025 season in question, which isn’t ideal as Dean is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Philadelphia drafting talented rookie Jihaad Campbell in the first round doesn’t help Dean’s situation, as it could be muddy when he is ready to return if the rookie is a fast learner. 

Kayvon Thibodeaux (EDGE-NYG) - The Giants' edge-rusher room got more crowded after they added Abdul Carter with the fourth overall pick. New York’s general manager, Joe Schoen, did say they were picking up Thibodeaux’s fifth-year option, even after a down year where he managed just five-and-a-half sacks over 12 games. Brian Burns will continue to hold down his role, but Thibodeaux’s workload could be affected by Carter if he stays a Giant. The bottom line is that Carter is a more dynamic pass rusher than Thibodeaux and will be hard to keep off the field. 

Myles Murphy (EDGE-CIN) - Since being drafted in the first round in the 2023 NFL draft, Murphy has yet to live up to the selection. Cincinnati brought back Joseph Ossai on a one-year prove-it deal and added high-ceiling edge-rusher Shemar Stewart with the 17th overall pick Thursday night. Murphy could find it difficult to see his role grow in his pivotal third season in the league.

Leonard Floyd (EDGE-ATL), Arnold Ebiketie (EDGE-ATL), and Bralen Trice (EDGE-ATL) - The Falcons' pass rush unit got some serious juice added to it with the first-round selections of Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr.. Floyd has been productive in his last three stops (San Francisco, Buffalo, Rams), but his appeal was centered around volume before the rookies arrived in Atlanta. Ebiketie has flashed at times, but he and Trice, who missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury, are inferior talents and have less invested in them than the new first-round rookies. These three pass rushers were only on the deep-league radar, especially Trice, but their appeal has dampened even in those leagues with the new situation.