RankingsAugust 19, 2004

Individual Defensive Player Rankings

By Arlo Vander

What’s better than a solid cheat sheet? How about seven combined into one master list? To prepare for the upcoming season, we asked seven fantasy veterans to rank the top defenders at each position, with very interesting results.

Each player was assigned a rank by all seven experts; the lower this score compared with other players at the same position, the better. This way, an overall consensus emerges, yet individual preferences can also be seen.

Average rank indicates the average of the scores assigned to a player by each person (players not appearing in an individual list were assigned a score of 21 for DLs and DBs, 41 for LBs). Each ranker’s list can be seen in the seven columns at the right.

Please note that this is a tool for draft preparation; it will not be updated throughout the season.

DL  LB  DB

DEFENSIVE LINEMENAvg RankS
l
o
w		D
u
k
e		F
l
u
x		i
r
o
n		B
4
P		P
o
o
b		B
u
c
k
Michael Strahan – NYG1,001111111
Jason Taylor – Mia3,4322322112
Mike Rucker – Car4,144355345
Charles Grant – NO5,296484456
Adewale Ogunleye – Mia5,715968723
Leonard Little – StL6,43314435610
John Abraham – NYJ6,8675766107
Simeon Rice – TB7,571082101094
Aaron Schobel – Buf11,5711161078 8
Julius Peppers – Car11,861261314111611
Patrick Kerney – Atl14,008719913  
Grant Wistrom – Sea14,009191511914 
Dwight Freeney – Ind14,57161391218 13
Alex Brown – Chi15,861310 1912 15
Kenard Lang – Cle16,00 11111614 18
Kevin Williams – Min16,2919 1717151312
Darren Howard – NO16,5714  1316 10
Jevon Kearse – Ten17,291518141517  
Kelly Gregg – Bal18,43     816
Greg Ellis – Dal18,71  18  1217
Shaun Ellis – NYJ18,86 1512    
Willie McGinest – NE18,86     189
Marcus Stroud – Jax19,00     7 
Jason Ferguson – NYJ19,14     1514
Kalimba Edwards – Det19,71 12     
Courtney Brown – Cle19,711720 1820  
Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila – GB20,14  16   20
Andre Carter – Ten20,43 17     
Bert Berry – Ari20,43     17 
Richard Seymour – NE20,4320   1920 
Tyler Brayton – Oak20,5718      
Rod Coleman – Atl20,71     19 
John Henderson – Jax20,71      19
Marcelleus Wiley – Dal20,86   20   
Justin Smith – Cin20,86  20    

 

LINEBACKERSAvg RankS
l
o
w		D
u
k
e		F
l
u
x		i
r
o
n		B
4
P		P
o
o
b		B
u
c
k
Ray Lewis – Bal1,001111111
Jamie Sharper – Hou2,862342324
Donnie Edwards – SD3,293264242
Keith Bullock – Ten4,717523565
Keith Brooking – Atl5,294855438
Zach Thomas – Mia7,14510117773
Andra Davis – Cle7,4367788106
Brian Urlacher – Chi9,14861066217
Nick Barnett – GB11,00129121110815
London Fletcher – Buf11,7191291411189
Lavar Arrington – Was12,71134310152222
Anthony Simmons – Sea13,29182017912512
Jay Foreman – Hou14,43111181293020
Michael Barrow – Was14,711016261613913
Tedy Bruschi – NE17,5721191323211511
Eric Barton – NYJ18,4316182515172414
Mike Peterson – Jax20,0017132213163524
James Farrior – Pit20,2914231418142732
Takeo Spikes – Buf20,5720142320201631
Julian Peterson – SF22,4319212919192525
Dat Nguyen – Dal22,7126171822261733
Shawn Barber – KC23,2925 1626241417
Al Wilson – Den23,7115263417252821
Derrick Brooks – TB24,172722212831 16
Barrett Green – NYG26,1433  2730  
Chad Brown – Sea26,5722 3021232623
Akin Ayodele – Jax28,1423 3229183618
Sam Cowart – NYJ29,29 3515  1319
Napolean Harris – Oak29,7131153525353235
Chris Draft – Atl30,2928272432323930
David Thornton – Ind30,43  20  1910
Scott Fujita – KC30,57 3319  1227
Derek Smith – SF31,4324 3330292934
Kendrell Bell – Pit32,00302827 28 29
Cato June – Ind33,293225  27 26
Jeremiah Trotter – Phi33,4329  2422 36
Robert Thomas – StL34,003431 31392339
Teddy Lehman – Det34,14 34     
Dhani Jones – Phi34,43  28  1138
Chris Claiborne – Min35,4337  33343428
Nate Webster – Cin36,143624373836  
Mark Simoneau – Phi37,57  38  20 
Shelton Quarles – TB37,8635   3333 
Brian Simmons – Cin37,863936313740  
Lance Briggs – Chi38,5738  3537 37
Will Witherspoon – Car39,00 30   38 
Jonathan Vilma – NYJ39,29 29     
Dexter Coakley – Dal39,57     31 
Courtney Watson – NO39,71 32     
Boss Bailey* – Det39,71  36  37 
*Sidelined indefinitely following knee surgery
Pisa Tinoisamoa – StL39,86   34  40
Marcus Washington – Was40,29   36   
DJ Williams – Den40,57 38     
Travian Smith – Oak40,57    38  
Nate Wayne – Phi40,57  4039   
Dan Morgan – Car40,71  39    
Junior Seau – Mia40,7140    40 
Rosevelt Colvin – NE40,86   40   

 

DEFENSIVE BACKSAvg RankS
l
o
w		D
u
k
e		F
l
u
x		i
r
o
n		B
4
P		P
o
o
b		B
u
c
k
Rodney Harrison – NE1,711111161
Darren Sharper – GB3,144244224
Greg Wesley – KC3,433322455
Adam Archuleta – StL6,8626333 10
Charles Tillman – Chi8,00911137583
Sean Taylor – Was9,1484106 78
Fred Thomas – NO9,4377856 12
Sammy Knight – Mia11,2959 871811
Michael Lewis – Phi11,43131217119414
Terence Newman – Dal12,4311 151210315
Tony Parrish – SF13,861657 18 9
Ed Reed – Bal14,57 8620 917
Ronde Barber – TB15,0015 9  126
Brian Russell – Min15,43     12
Ken Hamlin – Sea15,5717  10131116
Lawyer Milloy – Buf15,5762018168 20
Antoine Winfield – Min15,8610 121412  
Ty Law – NE15,8614 1913111419
Mike Minter – Car16,14121311 14  
Nick Harper – Ind17,86     137
Bryan Scott – Atl18,1418  916  
Corey Chavous – Min18,43 195    
Dre Bly – Det18,86   17 10 
Brian Dawkins – Phi19,141910     
Marcus Trufant – Sea19,57  16  16 
Shawn Springs – Was19,71   1815  
Roy Williams – Dal19,71 1620   18
Ifeanyi Ohalete – Was19,86      13
Brian Williams – Min19,86   1519  
Dexter Jackson – Ari20,00 14     
Jay Bellamy – NO20,00  14    
Terence Kiel – SD20,14 15     
Mike Logan – Pit20,14     15 
Mike Doss – Ind20,14 17   19 
Deon Grant – Jax20,43    17  
Omar Stoutmire – NYG20,43     17 
Troy Polamalu – Pit20,57 18     
Mike McKenzie – GB20,71   19   
Aenas Williams – StL20,8620      
Robert Griffith – Cle20,86    20  
Gary Baxter – Bal20,86     20 

Legend
Slow = Slowkidz
iron = ironman
B4P = Bennett4Prez
Poob = Poobah
Buck = Buckychudd

Assumed Scoring:
1 point per tackle
1 point per sack
1 point per blocked kick or punt
2 points per interception, forced fumble or fumble recovery
6 points per defensive touchdown
2 points per safety
 

Thanks to all the IDP experts who made these rankings happen!