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Here are some preliminary rankings for rookies. This will obviously change as we see more of these rookies on their new teams and the pre-season player rankings in their entirety typically take a full month before they are ready. Until then, here are the early rankings on the rookies. Barring the knowledge of what they look like wearing NFL uniforms, this is in large part about the situation that the rookies have been drafted into. Offensive Rookie Rankings »
Linebackers
| Rnk |
Player |
Team |
Notes |
| TIER ONE |
| 1 |
Rolando McClain |
OAK |
Can't ask for a better situation: one of the best (if not THE best) LBs in the draft class and should start in the middle from day one. |
| TIER TWO |
| 2 |
Brandon Spikes |
NEP |
His production slipped in his final seasons at Florida, but he's a playmaker that will be given opportunities for the Pat D. |
| 3 |
Daryl Washington |
ARI |
TCU has churned out some solid linebacker talent, and with Karlos Dansby gone, Washington could see playing time early on. |
| 4 |
Sean Weatherspoon |
ATL |
Not a great situation, but is an impressive, well-rounded football player that will find a way onto the field. |
| TIER THREE |
| 5 |
Sean Lee |
DAL |
Bothered by injuries in his final season, but he's yet another solid ex-Nittany Lion LB who will study under Keith Brooking. |
| 6 |
Donald Butler |
SDC |
Potential sleeper in the middle of the Bolt linebacking corps. |
| 7 |
Pat Angerer |
IND |
Potentially Gary Brackett's successor for the Colt MLB. |
| 8 |
Navorro Bowman |
SFO |
Had some better production than fellow Nittany Lion Sean Lee, but doesn't land in the best of spots. |
| 9 |
Roddrick Muckelroy |
CIN |
Flew under the radar a bit in college. Will have to fight through some young talent to see immediate playing time. |
| 10 |
Josh Hull |
STL |
Bit of a no-name to the average fan, but could be the primary MLB backup. |
| 11 |
Darryl Sharpton |
HOU |
Sort of crowded in terms of LB talent in Houston, but he's worth a shot in dynasty formats. |
| 12 |
Perry Riley |
WAS |
Could spell the aging London Fletcher at one of the Skin MLB spots. |
| 13 |
Dekoda Watson |
TBB |
Fits the Tampa-2 scheme well and could shoot up into Tier 2 if given immediate playing time. |
| 14 |
Travis Goethel |
OAK |
With Kirk Morrison gone and McClain manning the middle, Goethel becomes a potential backup MLB. |
| TIER FOUR |
| 15 |
Eric Norwood |
CAR |
Worth a shot in dynasty formats, as with all LBs in Tier 4. |
| 16 |
Rennie Curran |
TEN |
Has some talent, and there are some aging stars here. |
| 17 |
Stevenson Sylvester |
PIT |
Will have to fight off a bevy of talent. |
| 18 |
Kavell Conner |
IND |
Worthy of a late-round flier. |
| 19 |
Jamar Chanay |
PHI |
Chanay and Clayton will compete for playing time in a somewhat crowded LB corps. |
| 20 |
Keenan Clayton |
PHI |
See above. |
| 21 |
Nathan Tripplett |
MIN |
Will play on special teams and likely has little fantasy value. |
| 22 |
Cody Grimm |
TBB |
Could be a Tier 3 talent if he shows he can play the Cover-2. |
| 23 |
Austin Spitler |
MIA |
Limited fantasy upside. |
| 24 |
Ryan D'Imperio |
MIN |
Very limited fantasy upside. |
| 25 |
A.J. Edds |
MIA |
See above. |
Defensive Linemen
| Rnk |
Player |
Team |
Notes |
| TIER ONE |
| 1 |
Derrick Morgan |
TEN |
Should see immediate, impactful playing time. Wouldn't be shocked if he leads rookie class in sacks. |
| 2 |
Brandon Graham |
PHI |
The Eagles moved up to get this guy and he'll see time opposite Trent Cole, but will have to fight off new acquisition Darryl Tapp. |
| 3 |
Jason Pierre-Paul |
NYG |
Bit of a project, but he could turn out to be a stud, especially if the Giants let Osi Umenyiora walk. |
| TIER TWO |
| 4 |
Sergio Kindle (LB?) |
BAL |
Listed as a DL, but could be designated as a LB. Has more value as a DL. Good pass rusher that will see plenty of playing time. |
| 5 |
Jerry Hughes |
IND |
Highly talented and will get playing time behind Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney. May not rack up many tackles, though. |
| 6 |
Ndamukong Suh (DT) |
DET |
Game-changing talent. Will be one of the best fantasy defensive tackles. League owners that must start DT should make him a priority. |
| 7 |
Gerald McCoy (DT) |
TBB |
Fits the three-technique spot to a tee. He'll excel in Tampa and could be a decent fantasy option in deeper leagues or dynasty formats. |
| 8 |
Jared Odrick |
MIA |
A beast-like heavy hitter that will see time at rush end for the Dolphins. |
| 9 |
Tyson Alualu |
JAX |
The Jags curiously took the big ex Cal defensive lineman in the first round. Will see playing time from the outset, but will he produce? |
| TIER THREE |
| 10 |
Everson Griffen |
MIN |
Bit of a sleeper here. Will be competing for playing time behind Jared Allen and the underrated Ray Edwards. |
| 11 |
Ricky Sapp |
PHI |
Crowded set of defensive ends now in Philly. There will have to be an injury or two for Sapp to matter this year. |
| 12 |
Corey Wooton |
CHI |
Another sleeper. With Alex Brown gone, Wooton could compete for regular playing time. |
| 13 |
Carlos Dunlap |
CIN |
Slipped in the draft, and is a big-time talent. Not much competition in Cincy, so he could surprise early on. |
| 14 |
Thaddeus Gibson (LB?) |
PIT |
Gibson was a DL in college but could be slotted as a LB for the Steelers. Figure he'd be a mid-Tier 3 LB if that's where he's designated. |
| 15 |
Jason Worilds (LB?) |
PIT |
Ditto with Worilds. Not as much talent as Gibson but could be a backup at a highly productive position. |
| 16 |
Alex Carrington |
BUF |
Decent talent in a decent situation. Let him stew on your DTS. |
| TIER FOUR |
| 17 |
Terrence Cody (DT) |
BAL |
After the "Big Two" DTs, there is a grouping of decent DTs that should be drafted in dynasty formats. |
| 18 |
Dan Williams (DT) |
ARI |
Williams slipped to the Cards, and boy were they happy. Will he have a fantasy impact? Not right away, no. |
| 19 |
Lamarr Houston (DT) |
OAK |
Underrated and will see a good amount of playing time. |
| 20 |
Brian Price (DT) |
TBB |
Can play in the middle or on the edge of the Buc front three. |
| 20 |
Koa Misi (LB?) |
MIA |
May be designated as a LB for the Fins. If so, he's still a Tier 4 talent. |
| 21 |
Jer. Carrington (LB?) |
NEP |
Ditto. |
| 23 |
Linval Joseph (DT) |
NYG |
Not much fantasy potential here. |
| 25 |
Art Jones (DT) |
BAL |
Ditto, although he will back up Haloti Ngata. |
Defensive Backs
| Rnk |
Player |
Team |
Notes |
| TIER ONE |
| 1 |
Eric Berry |
KCC |
Polished and ready to start making plays. Should be a top fantasy DB, maybe this season. |
| 2 |
Earl Thomas |
SEA |
Shot up the draft board and should start for the Seahawks. Good fantasy production ahead. |
| TIER TWO |
| 3 |
Joe Haden (CB) |
CLE |
He'll be tested early on, and can make plays. |
| 4 |
Major Wright |
CHI |
A "Major" sleeper. Will fight for playing time in a defensive backfield that needs help. |
| 5 |
Nate Allen |
PHI |
Has a serious chance at starting at FS for the Eagles. |
| 6 |
Taylor Mays |
SFO |
Big time hitter, but can he cover? Might be a Roy Williams type of player that should probably play LB. |
| 7 |
Larry Asante |
CLE |
Asante and Ward (below) will compete for time at the safety spots for the Browns. |
| 8 |
T.J. Ward |
CLE |
See above. |
| 9 |
Kyle Wilson (CB) |
NYJ |
Has two of the better CBs ahead of him, but should see time at the nickel spot and could start if an injury occurs. |
| 10 |
Morgan Burnett |
GBP |
Will only need to beat out Atari Bigby for playing time. |
| 11 |
Myron Rolle |
TEN |
Incredibly intelligent and the Titans will figure out a way to get him on the field. |
| 12 |
Darrell Stuckey |
SDC |
Another DB sleeper. Could see spot duty or may start if he impresses in camp. |
| TIER THREE |
| 13 |
Kareem Jackson (CB) |
HOU |
Dunta Robinson is gone, so he'll have a chance at starting. Not an incredibly productive position though. |
| 14 |
Chad Jones |
NYG |
Loads of safety talent for the G-men, but Jones will be a deep sleeper in dynasty formats. |
| 15 |
Jerome Murphy (CB) |
STL |
Deeper sleeper for the weak Ram defense that will yield a ton of yards. |
| 16 |
Patrick Robinson (CB) |
NOS |
Bit of a crowd in the Saint defensive back corps, but Robinson has some talent. |
| 17 |
Devin McCourty (CB) |
NEP |
Not a great fantasy option in terms of position, but he fits the system and could provide backup help on your dynasty squad. |
| 18 |
Reshad Jones |
MIA |
With Gibril Wilson gone, there's a glimmer of hope. |
| 19 |
Chris Cook (CB) |
MIN |
Will need to see another Antoine Winfield injury for Cook to have any impact. |
| TIER FOUR |
| 20 |
Kam Chancellor |
SEA |
Seahawk defense is looking revamped but Chancellor is a project at best. |
| 21 |
Kurt Coleman |
PHI |
Another project. |
| 22 |
Kendrick Lewis |
KCC |
Lots of talent but not much production for the Chief DBs. Lewis will be a backup at best. |
| 23 |
Shann Schillenger |
ATL |
Project, plain and simple. |
| 24 |
Dominique Franks (CB) |
ATL |
Another project in a position that doesn't really produce. |
| 25 |
Kevin Thomas (CB) |
IND |
Could be a decent sleeper if the other younger Colt CBs don't pan out. |
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And Tony, Watson projects better in the Tampa-2 as a WLB, but you never know.
These rankings will be updated in a week or so. Stay tuned.