(Numbers in parentheses denote 2011 positional finish in Default IDP Manor Scoring)

2009 Team Rankings: Total Defense – 18th (355.1 YPG), Run Defense – 21st (124.1 YPG), Pass Defense – 17th (231.0 YPG), Scoring Defense – 17th (21.8 PPG)

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN

Defensive end Calais Campbell (DL6) parlayed a second straight solid season into a lucrative extension with the Cardinals this offseason, and his outstanding tackle numbers and solid big play production make the 25 year-old a sound choice as an IDP DL1 in all formats.

Batterymate Darnell Dockett’s (DL45) statistical production has fallen off each of the past two seasons, but the ninth year veteran remains a decent IDP DL3 with increased value in fantasy leagues where Dockett has positional eligibility as a defensive tackle.

LINEBACKERS

The Arizona linebacker corps is pretty bare outside inside linebacker Daryl Washington (LB10), who topped 100 tackles for the first time in 2011 and at 25 years old is just entering his prime and set for a breakout campaign.

11th-year veteran Paris Lenon (LB45) saw his tackle numbers drop by over 30 from to 2010 to 2011, and at 34 years of age it’s hard to advise counting on Lenon as more than depth or a bye-week fill in in IDP redraft leagues in 2011.

The Cardinals got next to nothing out of their outside linebackers a season ago, but Sam Acho (LB63) did manage 7 sacks and may be worth a late look in deeper big-play leagues.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Strong safety Adrian Wilson (DB75) battled nagging injuries for much of last year, and at 32 it appears that Wilson’s days of being an IDP force are over, although if he can stay healthy the hard hitting 11-year veteran might have one more top 25 season left in the tank.

A broken foot limited free safety Kerry Rhodes (DB147) to 7 games last year, and concern about that foot and Rhodes’ inconsistency (he had more than 5 tackles in only 2 games last year) leave the eighth-year pro more in lower-end IDP DB3 territory.

At the cornerback position rookie Patrick Peterson (DB53) saw plenty of action as a rookie in 2011, and while his 64 tackles, 2 interceptions, and considerable potential are enough to land him in mid DB3 range in standard IDP leagues for 2012 his 4 punt returns for touchdowns send his value through the roof in fantasy leagues that award points for return yards.

Greg Toler (DNP) lost the entire 2011 season to a knee injury, but the third-year pro tallied 90 tackles and a top 20 IDP finish at his position in 2010, so his role in the Arizona defense this season will be an important IDP storyline to monitor as the summer progresses.

The 2012 NFL Draft has come and gone, and after three days of stars, shockers, and 94 trades over 250 of college football’s top players have been welcomed into the National Football League, including many of the nation’s top defensive stars.

Now that the action is over in New York City let’s conclude our look back at the players featured in this season’s IDP Draft Preview Series here at IDP Manor and how their new homes impact their IDP value both in the upcoming season and beyond.

Tank Carder – LB, TCU (Buffalo Bills – Round Five, Pick 147): It’s hard not to like a linebacker named Tank, but it’s also hard to get too enthusiastic about Carder’s IDP prospects in Buffalo. The coaching staff for the Bills seems very confident in Kelvin Sheppard‘s ability to play middle linebacker in Buffalo’s new 4-3 defense, and unless Sheppard bombs Carder is likely headed for a reserve and special teams role and limited IDP value.

Andre Branch – DE, Clemson (Jacksonville Jaguars – Round Two, Pick 38): Branch was the most prominent of the so-called “tweener” players to land in a more fantasy-friendly (for them) 4-3 defensive front, and his landing spot with the Jacksonville Jaguars shot the former Clemson standout to the top of the fantasy heap among rookie defensive linemen. The 6’4″ 259-pound Branch will all but certainly start from the get-go opposite Jeremy Mincey on the Jacksonville defensive line, and it’s not at all hard to envision Branch posting high-end DL3 numbers or even cracking the Top 25 at his position as early as this year.

Dont’a Hightower – ILB, Alabama (New England Patriots – Round One, Pick 25): The New England Patriots traded up not once but twice in the first round of April’s draft, the second time to select the All-American thumper from Alabama. It’s hard for me to pinpoint Hightower’s IDP value right now, as I could see Bill Belichick using Hightower as anything from a strong-side pass rusher to a run stuffing MIKE, to a hybrid of the two with God knows what else thrown in. The biggest sticking point with Hightower’s fantasy value right now is whether he will see many snaps in nickel packages, and since I’m not overly confident that he will (at least early) his short term fantasy value is likely that of a middling IDP LB3 at best.

Fletcher Cox – DT, Mississippi State (Philadelphia Eagles – Round One, Pick 12): The Philadelphia Eagles were rumored to be “drooling” over Cox before the NFL draft, and those rumors seemed to have some merit, granted that the team moved up in the first round to select the Bulldogs standout. Cox will slot into a starting role opposite Cullen Jenkins at tackle, and the team is even trying him at end in a few formations. This would seem to indicate significant early playing time for the 298-pounder, and while Cox’s IDP value may still lie mainly in leagues that require defensive tackles it’s not crazy to think that Cox could approach Jenkins’ 2011 IDP DL4 production in Default IDP Manor Scoring in “standard” IDP leagues.

Mychal Kendricks – LB, Cal (Philadelphia Eagles – Round Two, Pick 46): The Eagles didn’t stop their defensive overhaul with the addition of Cox, as the team then spent their next pick on the reigning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. Kendricks is originally expected to battle Jamar Chaney for the role of strong side linebacker in the Eagles 4-3 defense, but eventually I think that Kendricks will find himself slotted in as the weak side linebacker in Philadelphia, where a three-down role could mean ample tackle opportunities that would make Kendricks an upside LB3 option in 2012.

The 2012 NFL Draft is in the history books, and after three days of values, reaches, and trades galore over 250 of college football’s top players have been welcomed into the National Football League, including many of the nation’s top defensive standouts.

Now that the action is over in New York City let’s continue to look back at the players featured in this season’s IDP Draft Preview Series here at IDP Manor and how their new homes impact their IDP value both in the upcoming season and beyond.

Bobby Wagner – ILB, Utah State (Seattle Seahawks – Round Two, Pick 47): The former Aggies star went earlier in the draft than many suspected, and his selection by the Seattle Seahawks was about as good a landing spot as could be hoped for from an IDP perspective. Wagner will battle veteran Barrett Ruud for the starting role in the Emerald City, but even should he beat out Ruud in training camp a two-down role could limit Wagner to IDP LB4 fantasy value in redraft leagues, although that value would get a sizable bump if Wagner works his way into nickel packages as well. However, Ruud is a bridge option at best, and given Wagner’s talent and the fact that he’ll be taking the reins at middle linebacker for the Seahawks soon enough the 6’0″ 233-pounder is a top-five rookie IDP option at his position in Dynasty formats.

Ronnell Lewis – OLB, Oklahoma (Detroit Lions – Round Four, Pick 125): The draft may have produced a favorable landing spot for Wagner, but the 6’1″, 253-pound Lewis was not so fortunate. With Stephen Tulloch and DeAndre Levy entrenched in the Detroit Lions defense the run-stuffing thumper will fight with Justin Durant for playing time on the strong side in Motown, leaving his fantasy value minimal at best in the short-term and making the former Sooners standout little more than a potential waiver watch in all but the deepest of IDP Dynasty leagues.

Nick Perry – DE/OLB, USC (Green Bay Packers – Round One, Pick 28): I’m going to unashamedly pat myself on the back here, as I’d been mocking Perry to the Packers for some time as a complement to a pass rush that ranked 27th in the National Football League in sacks in 2011. Unfortunately, Perry’s arrival in Green Bay also means he’ll be classified as a linebacker by most fantasy providers, which is a substantial hit to his fantasy value. Granted, Clay Matthews has shown that a Green Bay outside linebacker can be productive as a fantasy asset in big-play heavy scoring systems, but he’s also been wildly inconsistent, and it’s hard to see Perry as anything more than a late draft flier in deeper league where sacks score big points unless he somehow retains positional eligibility as a defensive lineman.

Harrison Smith – FS, Notre Dame (Minnesota Vikings – Round One, Pick 29): No team in the National Football League allowed more touchdown passes last year than the Minnesota Vikings, who addressed that need by trading up into the first round to acquire the 2012 NFL Draft’s top coverage safety in Smith. The 6’2″, 213-pound Smith will almost certainly start from day one on the Twin Cities. While he may not possess the potential for tackle production and fantasy upside that Mark Barron has Smith represents a solid pick as an IDP DB3 in redraft leagues, and Harrison Smith will be the second rookie defensive back selected in nearly all IDP drafts this summer regardless of format.

The Miami Dolphins have agreed to terms with defensive end/outside linebacker Cameron Wake on a four year, $49 million dollar contract that includes $20 million in guaranteed money according to a report in the Washington Post. The fourth-year pro, who was the CFL defensive player of the year in 2007 and 2008 before migrating to the NFL and joining the Dolphins, had 42 tackles and 8.5 sacks in 2011.

The Ball Says: The 30 year-old Wake was entering the final year of the $4.9 million contract he signed with the Dolphins in 2009, and Wake had recently skipped some offseason workouts, telling the Miami Herald that “I’ve said this before; football is a game for big boys. We are all grown men. There is a business side and there is a personal side. As a grown man, you start to better understand there is a business side and everything has its place and time.”

The bigger story regarding Wake’s IDP fortunes for 2012 isn’t this new contract but the fact that Wake will move to right defensive end in Miami’s new 4-3 defense. This position switch will be a significant boost to Wake’s fantasy value, as he’ll go from a mrginally rosterable big-play linebacker that cracked the top 50 linebackers in Default IDP Manor Scoring only once in three seasons to a viable IDP DL2 after averaging over 40 tackles and nine sacks over the past three years.

The 2012 NFL Draft is in the rearview mirror, and after three days of stars, surprises, and trades galore over 250 of college football’s best players have been welcomed into the National Football League, including many of the nation’s top defensive standouts.

Now that the action is over in New York City let’s continue to look back at the players featured in this season’s IDP Draft Preview Series here at IDP Manor and how their new homes impact their IDP value both in the upcoming season and beyond.

Melvin Ingram – DE/OLB, South Carolina (San Diego Chargers – Round One, Pick 18): Ingram was one of a number of so-called “tweener” types that went early in the draft, and while that likely means early playing time for Ingram on a San Diego defense that struggled to get after the passer last year it also means that Ingram will be chasing quarterbacks in the Chargers’ 3-4 front. That means that Ingram will likely be designated as a linebacker by many fantasy providers, which will make him all but undraftable in all but the deepest and sack-heaviest of dynasty formats. If, however, Ingram is labeled a defensive lineman by your IDP provider playing linebacker may actually mean better tackle opportunities than he would see at end, and Ingram would be an interesting upside IDP DL3 option were that the case.

Alfonzo Dennard – CB, Nebraska (New England Patriots – Round Seven, Pick 224): Dennard’s draft stock went on a plunge that could best be likened to Skylab re-entering the atmosphere, as a player once considered a potential first-round prospect nearly wasn’t drafted after a miserable Senior Bowl, poor workouts, and an April arrest for assaulting a police officer. However, Dennard’s draft-day free-fall may actually prove a boon to his IDP fortunes, as the Big Ten defensive back of the year in 2011 landed with a New England team that badly needs to improve a secondary that was torched on a weekly basis last year. Dennard is a solid tackler who could challenge for early playing time in the Patriots defensive backfield, and while he likely isn’t draftable in all but the deepest of CB-required leagues Dennard is at the very least an early-season waiver watch with the potential for some “rookie corner” rule fantasy production.

Zach Brown – OLB, North Carolina (Tennessee Titans – Round Two, Pick 52): As was expected the speedy Brown ran like a deer at the combine and North Carolina’s pro day, went fairly early in the draft, and should have a decent shot at playing time early. However, questions about Brown’s willingness to get dirty began to swirl as the draft approached, and when your fantasy production is based on tackles and such comments as “somewhat allergic to contact” are being thrown around that’s cause for concern. It’s possible that Brown could develop into a quality NFL starter and IDP asset over time, but as things stand now it’s hard to view Brown as more than a low-end IDP LB4 at best, with slightly higher value in dynasty formats.

Quinton Coples – DE/OLB, North Carolina (New York Jets – Round One, Pick 16): Thud and double thud. I’ll confess that Rex Ryan has probably forgotten more about defense than I know, but I think the pressure in New York may be getting to Ryan, because I don’t know what the hell he and the Jets were thinking in picking the 6’6″ 281-pound Coples to play in their 3-4 front. Granted the Jets need pass rush help, but given the questions about his work ethic and the freakshow that Gang Green is rapidly descending into I have next to no faith in Coples ability to make a quick transition to either defensive end or outside linebacker in the New York defense, and unless your IDP league is ridiculously deep Coples has gone from potentially being the first rookie defensive lineman taken in fantasy drafts to my ten foot pole list.

Mark Barron – SS, Alabama (Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Round One, Pick 7): Barron’s draft stock had been steadily rising in the weeks leading up to the NFL draft, and that rise culminated with the selection of Barron by the Buccaneers, who have apparently decided that it’s time to move on from Sean Jones at the position, at seventh overall. The team has confirmed that Barron will play strong safety, he will likely start from day one, and it’s probable that he’ll play every down. If that turns out to be the case Barron has a shot at IDP DB2 production as a rookie with top 20 upside, and he’ll be the first rookie defensive back off fantasy draft boards in all formats this summer.

One of the leading contenders in the AFC was dealt a crippling blow on defense this week when Baltimore Ravens defensive end/linebacker Terrell Suggs suffered an Achilles’ injury during workouts that could sideline him for the entire 2012 season, according to a report in the Baltimore Sun. Suggs, who was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2011, had 70 tackles, 14 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions a season ago.

The Ball Says: The severity of the injury suffered by the ninth-year veteran won’t be known until next week, although Suggs is hoping to return as soon as possible, telling the Sun “It’s amazing people are starting to write me off already, the entire season. It will take three or four months to heal. Well, it’s still three months before training camp, and then another month of training camp. At the minimum, I’ll be back in October, and at the maximum, most defintiely back in November.” However, with that said Suggs’ optimism isn’t going to magically heal the tendon, and if it’s completely torn his season is all but over.

This injury is a devastating blow to the Ravens defense, who lose their top pass rusher from last season, and to the fantasy owners of Suggs, who have lost the third-ranked defensive lineman in Default IDP Manor Scoring from 2011 well before training camp even begins.

Barring a miracle Suggs almost uncertainly undraftable in redraft formats with this news, and while it’s presently unknown whether the Ravens will replace Suggs in house, pursue a trade, or sign a free agent such as Andre Carter none of the options currently on the Ravens roster would seem to have much IDP appeal as a fill-in besides perhaps rookie Courtney Upshaw IF he’s classified as a defensive lineman by your fantasy provider.

The 2012 NFL Draft is in the proverbial books, and after a weekend that saw reaches, steals, and trades galore 253 of college football’s best players have been welcomed into the National Football League, including many of the nation’s top defensive players.

Now that the dust has settled in New York City let’s take a look back at the players featured in this season’s IDP Draft Preview Series here at IDP Manor and how their new homes impact their IDP value both in the upcoming season and beyond.

Luke Kuechly – LB, Boston College (Carolina Panthers – Round One, Pick 9): It may seem a bit surprising that given the Carolina Panthers’ talented linebacker trio of James Anderson, Jon Beason, and Thomas Davis that the team would spend a top 10 pick on a linebacker this season.

That is, until you take a look at the fact that Beason and Davis missed a combined 29 games last year or that Davis is returning from a 3rd torn ACL.

The Panthers didn’t draft Kuechly that highly to sit him, and right now the more pressing questions would appear to be whether he’ll line up on the weak side or the middle and whether or not Kuechly will see time in the nickel. Those questions are enough to make college football’s leading tackler an IDP LB3 lottery ticket in redraft fantasy leagues, but they aren’t enough to knock the Butkus Award winner from his perch atop dynasty IDP rankings.

Whitney Mercilus – DE/OLB, Illinois (Houston Texans – Round One, Pick 26): The NCAA’s sack king landed in a situation that may bode well for his chances of successfully making the transition to outside linebacker, but it was a kick in the teeth for Mercilus’ IDP fortunes, especially in the short term.

The Texans defense didn’t miss a beat when Mario Williams went down last year, so while Williams departure to Buffalo might seem to open a hole for Mercilus it’s more likely that Houston will be in no huge hurry to rush the All-American into the lineup.

A rotational role in the early going and likely positional designation as a linebacker with most fantasy providers are huge hits to Mercilus’ fantasy value, and while the Illinois star may still be worth a late flier in dynasty rookie drafts he’s little more than a waiver watch in all but the deepest and/or sack-heavy of redraft IDP leagues.

Dre Kirkpatrick – CB, Alabama (Cincinnati Bengals – Round One, Pick 17): The Cincinnati Bengals were one of the teams believed to be targeting a cornerback in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft, and sure enough with LSU’s Morris Claiborne and South Carolina’s Stephon Gilmore off the board the Bengals pulled the trigger on the 6’2″ All-American.

Kirkpatrick will likely assume slot duties and could push veteran Nate Clements for a starting job outside in Cincinnati, and while his IDP value, at least for now, lies mainly in fantasy leagues that require corners his willingness to drop his head, and the tackle opportunities that brings with it combined with his “rookie corner” rule potential, make Kirkpatrick likely to be the first rookie at his position selected in the majority of IDP leagues this summer.

Audie Cole – LB, North Carolina State (Minnesota Vikings – Round Seven, Pick 210): Poor performances at February’s NFL combine and the Wolfpack’s pro day only amplified concerns about Cole’s speed and athleticism, and that precipitated a draft plunge that only halted when the Vikings took Cole with the third pick in the seventh round.

For now it would appear that Cole’s IDP value in redraft formats is minimal, as he’ll be stuck behind Jasper Brinkley on the depth chart and would appear to have no shot at nickel snaps even were he to crack the lineup.

However, all is not lost, as the thumper makes up for what he lacks in ability with smarts, toughness, and knowledge of the game, and those types of players buck the odds every year. Is he worth a draft pick? In all but the deepest of IDP leagues no. Is Audie Cole still a player worth monitoring? You bet.

Every year in the NFL Draft players slip for reasons ranging from injury worries to character concerns to team needs. However, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and one of the second round jewels that could be there for the taking in next week’s draft is Cal linebacker Mychal Kendricks, who is a top 25 prospect according to Russ Lande of The Sporting News. The 5’11″ 239-pound senior had 105 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 2 interceptions en route to being named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2011.

The Ball Says: Kendricks is a versatile player who can play either inside or outside and hold his own in coverage and who absolutely tore the roof off February’s NFL combine, not only leading all linebackers in the 40-yard dash but running the fastest time at the position in Indianapolis in a dozen years. Lande is certainly sold on Kendricks’ athleticism, saying “Kendricks is faster and has a better closing burst than many NFL linebackers”.

However, Kendricks’ size may limit his suitors in the draft, and unless his landing spot is ideal the youngster will likely be little more than a deep league flier or early waiver watch in redraft IDP leagues for 2012. That said Kendricks’ athletic ability makes him one of the more interesting dynasty prospects of the season, and depending on how things play out it wouldn’t be hard at all to envision a Sean Weatherspoon-like career arc where a quiet rookie season is followed by huge fantasy football production in his sophomore campaign. If there’s an incoming rookie linebacker that’s a lottery ticket this year it’s probably Kendricks, and getting him outside the top three newcomers at his position in 2012 has the potential to be a huge value in dynasty IDP leagues.

Tony Pauline of Sports Illustrated reported recently that the Philadephia Eagles may have interest in trading into the top 10 picks of the first round of the 2012 NFL in order to insure that they can procure the services of Mississippi State defensive tackle Fletcher Cox. The 6’4″ 298-pound junior had 56 tackles, 5 sacks, and a forced fumble en route to being named a second team All-SEC performer in 2011.

The Ball Says: While Cox didn’t post huge numbers for the Bulldogs in 2011 he did enjoy a very solid performance at the scouting combine in February, although it was overshadowed by the monstrous workout put up by Dontari Poe of Memphis. However, it’s Cox that is climbing draft boards of late, with ESPN’s Mel Kiper saying of Cox “Disruptive and explosive from the interior, Cox is another player you can take without worries about a scheme fit.”

Of all the defensive tackles in this year’s draft class Cox would seem to be the best bet to have a substantial IDP impact as a rookie, especially should he land somewhere such as Philly where he would be surrounded by talent that would keep double-teams off the youngster. However, that same talent would compete with Cox for stats, and question marks such as those and the general fantasy volatility of defensive tackles in IDP leagues probably make Cox more of a late-draft “lottery ticket” type in most standard formats, with perhaps a slightly higher value in dynasties, although the inherent inconsistency among defensive tackles caps even that bump.

The story changes somewhat if you’re in an IDP league where the DT position is required, of course, as his athleticism and potential could make worth a late gamble as a starter in those formats, especially for those IDP owners who eschew the position until late in drafts before making a couple of speculative additions in the hopes that one hits big.

Of the many players the Baltimore Ravens have been doing research on leading up to this month’s NFL Draft one of the collegiate standouts that caught the eye of director of player personnel Eric DeCosta is Alabama inside linebacker Dont’a Hightower, according to a report in USA Today. Of Hightower, who had 85 tackles, 4 sacks, an interceptions, and a forced fumble in 2011, DeCosta said “Hightower is a great player, there’s no doubt about it. He’s an explosive guy. We’ve seen him play many times, obviously with the Alabama connections. We are going to draft the best player that’s available. If that’s an inside linebacker and we think that guy can be a really good player for us, we’re going to take him.”

The Ball Says: The 6’2″ 265-pound All-American is a prototypical run-stuffing 3-4 inside linebacker, and while there’s little doubt that the Ravens would love to draft Hightower as an heir to Ray Lewis I don’t see any way that Hightower makes it past the Pittsburgh Steelers at 24 after the team released veteran James Farrior last month.

Regardless of where the hard-nosed Hightower begins his NFL career it’s likely that he’ll be eased in somewhat, focusing on base defensive packages early on, which would cap his IDP upside significantly in redraft formats. However, Hightower is a sure tackler with a nose for the football, and while he’s not incredibly fast his toughness and instincts could lead him down a career path somewhat similar to David Harris of the New York Jets, which could leave Hightower a viable IDP LB3 (with quite a bit of upside) in dynasty formats with a rookie draft value somewhere in the top five at his position based on his destination.