I'm here to answer the philosophical question you did not know you needed the answer to, "Who are 12 impact rookies for 2023 IDP Fantasy Football?"
The answer is relatively easy, but before we do that let’s tackle just how important an ideal fit for a rookie is to any team.
Q: If Tom Brady had joined any of the other six teams in need of a quarterback during the 2000 Draft, would he still have achieved the status of the Greatest of All Time (GOAT)?
Q: If the Chargers had chosen not to trade Eli Manning, would he have won one, if not multiple, Super Bowls?
Oh, that’s just offense I see? We got those questions on the defense side of the ball, too.
Q: Would Ray Lewis’ legacy turn out the same if drafted to any other team?
Q: What is going on with Kenneth Murray, and is he salvageable?
last one...
Q: Would Vernon Gholston's career have failed the same way had he gone anywhere but the J-E-T-S?
It's had to say but maybe just maybe, for the cases above, the landing spots factored in somehow. Let's look at this rookie class and its absolute best landing spots for impact players.
2023 IDP Fantasy Football: 12 Impact Rookie Landing Spots
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Tier 1
This tier includes the rookies with the best landing spots.
Jack Campbell, LB, Detroit Lions
He has landed in the perfect spot and possesses the desired draft capital. Coupled with his talent, Campbell is poised to become a reliable and valuable asset in IDP leagues for the foreseeable future.
Jack Campbell was ELITE in coverage last season👀 pic.twitter.com/LmQe77fc0N
— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 26, 2023
In college, he totaled 299 tackles, with 12.5 going tackle for a loss, three sacks, and five interceptions. Quite literally a "jack of all trades" and will project as three-down linebacker due to his excellent coverage abilities.
Sydney Brown, DB, Philadelphia Eagles
Originally ranked as my third-best defensive back in this draft class, Brown now finds himself in one of the most favorable landing spots imaginable. College he produced statistically, 8 forced incompletions for a 17% incompletion rate, 8 pass breakups, and 6 interceptions, which was tied for first overall among draft class safeties.
With the departure of CJ Gardner-Johnson, the competition for playing time is wide open, providing Brown with a significant opportunity to excel. Staying ahead of Blankenship should be a relatively straightforward task for Brown, allowing him to make an immediate impact and contribute right from the start. All he has to do is beat out Blankenship or Edmonds and the starting job is his.
Felix Anudike-Uzomah, DL, Kansas City Chiefs
The former Kansas State player is going to have a chance to fill a huge void left behind by Frank Clark. Talent should get him on the field starting early on, but statistically, he should produce and be a force early on. Anudike-Uzomah over the last three seasons, finished with 97 tackles over including 26.5 for loss with 20.5 sacks, and he forced six fumbles. His 6'4 and 255-pound frame helped make him Big 12 defensive player of the year which should translate well in the NFL.
Chiefs sign first-round draft pick Felix Anudike-Uzomah #ChiefsFootball #ChiefsKingdom #GoChiefs #ChiefsFans https://t.co/5eyC4lurCb
— Chiefs Fans (@ChiefsViews) May 19, 2023
BJ Ojulari, DL, Arizona Cardinals
With the retirement of JJ Watt and the decline of Marcus Golden, along with the departures of Chandler Jones and Zach Allen, there is a significant void that needs to be filled on this team. Ojulari steps into a depth chart with plenty of opportunities, and it is expected that he will make an immediate impact on the team. 103 pressures was second in the SEC only behind Will Anderson. This should get him on the field early.
Expect rookie BJ Ojulari to be a big part of the Arizona Cardinals' plans at pass rusher https://t.co/8sZq4PcvEX
— azcentral (@azcentral) May 14, 2023
Bryan Bresee, DT, New Orleans Saints
A highly-rated recruit in high school and former number one nationally ranked player enters a positional chart where he has a strong chance to surpass Nathan Shephard or any other player on the Saints depth chart. For those participating in defensive tackle leagues, Bresee is a highly likely candidate to outperform the competition and secure a starting role. Bresee has a ton of talent, was also a three-time All-ACC selection and should fill a need on the depth chart.
DeMarvion Overshown, LB, Dallas Cowboys
Hear me out. The Cowboys spent a third-round draft pick on him so likely with that capital he will have a role sorted out. With the likelihood of Micah Parsons moving to DL full-time (he played last year there 80% of snaps, as opposed to just 56% as a rookie) there is a need for an edge attacker and that is something Overshown fills a need, and does what the Cowboys need well, his draft profile shows he is a proven edge rusher in pass coverage cover well.
What a landing spot for Texas LB DeMarvion Overshown. Congrats to Agent Zero. He’s headed to Dallas https://t.co/crqUG234Lf
— Nick Moyle (@NRMoyle) April 29, 2023
Early reports and some sites already have him starting at Edge, he is a former Saftey and 6'3 so could prove useful. (technically he will have to beat out Damone Clark but should not be a problem)
Tier 2
This tier includes players who depending on positional camp battles ultimately should win out.
Daiyan Henley, LB, Los Angeles Chargers
Henley lands in a favorable situation where Kenneth Murray's fifth-year option has not been picked up, increasing the likelihood of Henley surpassing him. Learning from the talented Eric Kendricks, this duo could prove to be intriguing. Henley has a good chance of beating out Murray, not just in the long term. In College, he had an elite PFF grade of 93, largely impart due to his 74 tackles last year with a 5.2% missed tackle rate. This is an impressive stat line, which the Chargers will need to shore up that unit.
Trenton Simpson, LB, Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens had a pressing need for a pass rusher, making Simpson an attractive option. It's worth noting that Patrick Queen will not have his fifth-year option picked up. While Queen is a talented player who should perform well on his next team, Simpson may initially sit and learn the position.
It’s utterly insane that Trenton Simpson fell to pick 86, but a perfect landing spot. Dude will be a star.
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) April 29, 2023
However, he's a player to keep an eye on as he could earn a starting role sooner rather than later. He is physically gifted with a 35" vertical leap and 32" vertical arms. Simpson is a hybrid by playing outside and inside linebacker and played slot corner in College. This Athletic specimen should fill in pretty quickly and fill a position early.
Myles Murphy, DL, Cincinnati Bengals
Murphy, a former five-star recruit out of high school, elevated himself as a pass rusher in 2022, he produced 34 total pressures, which included 21 QB hurries, 7 QB hits, and a decent 6 sacks on the year.
Interesting…5 of Sam Hubbard’s 6.5 sacks last season came on 3rd downs including 1 FF
Bengals Sacks on 3rd down:
Hubbard 5
Hendrickson 4
Hill 0.5
Ossai 3Excited to see the Myles Murphy pass rush impact on 3rd downs. Carter didn’t register a 3rd down sack. #Bengals #WhoDey… pic.twitter.com/BSCvUxJOYV
— GameOn513 (@gameonjmoney) May 21, 2023
Murphy is a speculative stash. With Sam Hubbard (27) known for his run-stopping abilities but lacking as a pass rusher, and Trey Hendrickson (28) recognized for his pass-rushing skills but weak run support, the situation is ripe for change. Both players will soon be seeking new contract deals, and with Joe Burrow potentially looking for a payday next season, there's a possibility of one or both becoming cap casualties.
Jordan Battle, DB, Cincinnati Bengals
Equally impressive is Battle. With over 3,000 snaps in the last three seasons, Battle is no stranger to the Safety game as his athletic measurables are off the chart. The Bengals are looking to replace Jessie Bates and Battle could do just that. All he will need to beat out Nick Scott only to be paired up with former first-rounder Dax Hill, thus forming to be an exciting tandem for seasons to come. My bet is on Battle.
Tier 3
This tier of players will require some shakeup, injuries, or strong gameplay during mini-camps, but should be good.
Dorian Williams, LB, Buffalo Bills
Dorian was a third-round draft selection by the Bills. He ran 4.49 at the combine and had exploded last season at Tulane with 131 tackles in just 14 games.
Now you would think he would be a shoo-in, at least on the surface, for the outside linebacker job but it's not as easy as you would think. Out of all the players mentioned so far I'm not as convinced that Williams could beat out Bernard, this is regarded as a weak linebacker class, and to be fair Williams is my LB5, but that doesn’t remove the fact that he enters an excellent landing spot.
When you read/hear about NFL trending toward smaller more athletic LBs who can play in space & stay on field in sub packages Tulane’s Dorian Williams (6006v, 228v, 80 1/2 wing) is Him.
He’s many teams’ sleeper ‘backer. 💤
Under-radar NFL starter.#TheDraftStartsInMOBILE™️ pic.twitter.com/GuszCzpG65
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) March 1, 2023
Here we have the aging Milano (28) as the full-time starter he will be paired up with either him or Terrel Bernard. My guess is that it's Bernard's job to lose but that doesn’t mean they won't compete. Both Williams and Milano are a bit undersized so would be interesting to see if teams would target the duo in my tackle-heavy scoring leagues would be something to watch for.
Jordan Hall, DL, Seattle Seahawks
At 6-3 and 254lbs, this first-team All-SCC produced the third most pressure only behind Will Anderson and BJ Ojulari in that category. Looking further Jordan also had 16 sacks, which was only second to Will Anderson again respectfully.
The thought for most is the possibility that he could be a bookend with Darrell Taylor but look again. He’ll need to beat out some middle-average guys in Dre'mont Jones and Jarrod Reed. I am not convinced just yet, to make matters worse Seattle uses a Nosetakcle, who they drafted in Cameron Young so that only leaves two spots open for those four names.
I’m not fond of the landing spot as much as other people have raved. It might be a moment to see this one happen, but this is why we have camp battles.
Honorable Mention
Byron Young, DT, Las Vegas Raiders
The depth chart is relatively open for Young to make a move, with the potential to surpass Bilal Nichols and Adam Butler , or Jeffrey Tillery. However, he will have to beat them out and show he could play.
I am not sure what kind of impact Young will have in IDP, if he can produce the opportunity will be there.
If you look at the Raiders, they continue to build their front seven by drafting Tyree Wilson and already had Nick Crosby. By drafting Young, who is one of the most versatile defensive tackles in this draft, it gives the Raiders options. He didn't do well at the combine, but PFF has a 12.5% pass-rush rate and an 85.6 pass-rushing grade. That is something that he could work on next level and if he could pass a few of those guys on the depth chart might be a nice sleeper.
Conclusion
These twelve will get the first crack to show their promise. With any luck, some of these names could turn into superstars and we helped identify winning pieces for your Dynasty teams.
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