IDP Rankings

It took some time for Franklin to get a chance to play full-time on the defensive side of the ball, but he emerged as one of the most prolific tacklers in the league in 2022. It would have been fair to question if a repeat was coming in 2023, but he doubled down on his production by topping 1,000 snaps for the second straight season while finishing second in the league with 179 tackles. Franklin doesn't offer much in terms of pass rush or work in coverage, but he'll stuff the stat sheet with stops weekly, making him one of the most valuable IDP players available. The Colts boast an elite defensive line, so Franklin should have no trouble continuing to crash down on ball carriers with little resistance from the opposing offensive line.

Singleton has topped 120 tackles in four straight seasons, giving him a strong floor to start from. The question will be just how high his ceiling may be. We got a glimpse of that in 2023, as he topped 1,000 snaps for the first time in his career and put up an impressive 177 tackles. The Broncos did little to add to their middle linebacker corps this offseason, setting Singleton up for another big season. Singleton has proven to be strong defender against the run, but he is rarely used as a pass rusher so his fantasy contributions will come primarily in the form of tackles.

Edwards was a victim of Philadelphia's deep linebacker corps and defensive philosophy of rotating its linebacking core more than the average team early in his caeer. He was unable to top 700 defensive snaps in any of his first three seasons in the league as a result, though he still broke out with 130 tackles in the last of those campaigns. Edwards has since flourished into a strong all-around defensive player. After joining the Bears for the 2023 season, he worked primarily in coverage (609 of his 1,042 snaps came in coverage, per PFF) and was successful with that responsibility. He'll retain a significant role in Chicago's linebacking corps alongside Tremaine Edmunds as the two full-time players, so there's little reason to expect a downturn in production. Edwards' profile is unique relative to the other elite IDP linebackers thanks to his prowess in coverage, giving him a well-rounded statistical profile in leagues where tackles are devalued.

In the last four seasons, Smith has never finished lower than sixth in the league in total tackles. In large part, that consistency has been due to Smith's ability to stay on the field. After being banged up for parts of his first two years in the league with the Bears, he has turned in four consecutive seasons with over 1,000 total snaps. During his first full season in Baltimore in 2023, Smith was also asked to take on additional responsibility as a cover linebacker. He played a career-high 649 snaps in coverage (per PFF) and responded by breaking up a career-best seven passes. Heading into 2024, Smith will remain the centerpiece of the Ravens' defense, though he will face a new challenge of not having Patrick Queen lining up alongside him. Smith will likely be asked to take on even more as a result, which could increase his production so long as the Baltimore defensive line plays well enough to occupy opposing offensive linemen in order to keep him clean.