Individual Defensive Player Rankings

Good IDP rankings are hard to find, particularly since opinions on defenders seem to vary even more than they do for their counterparts on offense. In order to eliminate some of this subjectivity, we asked nine fantasy veterans to rank the top defenders at each position, with very interesting results.

Each player was assigned a rank by all nine 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, with the highest and lowest scores filtered out to improve the accuracy of the rankings (for this calculation, players not appearing in an individual list were assigned a score of 51 for LBs, and 26 for DLs and DBs). Each ranker’s individual list can be seen in the ten 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 LINEMEN	Avg Rank	V a d e r	i r o n	j o s h y	G r e a t	P l i n d	d r e a m	s t o m p	A 2	V a n t e r
Julius Peppers – Car	1.29	1	6	1	2	1	1	1	2	1
Dwight Freeney – Ind	3.57	5	4	4	1	4	7	3	1	4
Jason Taylor – Mia	3.57	4	5	3	3	3	4	2	6	3
Charles Grant – NO	3.57	2	2	2	10	7	2	6	4	2
Kevin Williams – Min	3.86	3	3	5	4	9	3	4	3	5
Patrick Kerney – Atl	6.29	10	1	6	6	13	6	5	5	6
Michael Strahan – NYG	7.29	6	7	7	7	8	8	8	7	7
Simeon Rice – TB	8.29	7	8	9	5	5	11	10	12	8
John Abraham – NYJ	9.00	13	10	10	9	2	5	11	8	10
Aaron Schobel – Buf	10.29	8	9	11	12	17	13	9	9	9
Bertrand Berry – Ari	11.43	15	13	8	11	15	9	7	13	11
Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila – GB	13.29	14	17	13	13	10	15	12	14	12
Shaun Ellis – NYJ	16.29	16	18	14	16	21	26	13	15	14
James Hall - Det	17.00	20	11	21	25	24	10	18	10	15
Justin Smith – Cin	17.43	12	15	16	22	19	24	22	11	16
Rod Coleman – Atl	17.43	21	12	18	26	23	12	14	16	18
Leonard Little – StL	18.14	23	25	19	15	12	20	17	20	13
Darren Howard – NO	18.57	11	26	12	26	11	14	21	26	20
John Henderson – Jax	19.29	26	14	15	17	26	22	16	22	17
Jevon Kearse – Phi	19.71	26	22	26	8	6	17	20	26	19
Mike Rucker – Car	20.71	18	19	26	18	14	19	26	21	24
Grant Wistrom – Sea	21.43	26	20	26	19	20	21	19	17	25
Adewale Ogunleye – ChiI	21.57	26	24	24	14	16	23	15	26	23
Cornelius Griffin – Was	23.00	19	16	20	26	26	26	26	23	21
Shaun Rogers – Det	23.86	17	26	26	26	26	18	26	19	26
Alex Brown – Chi	24.57	26	26	26	26	18	16	24	26	26
Osi Umenyiora – NYG	24.57	26	23	17	26	26	26	23	26	22
Greg Ellis – Dal	24.86	9	26	23	21	26	26	26	26	26
Reggie Hayward – Jax	25.00	26	21	22	24	26	26	25	26	26
Will Smith – NO	25.86	26	26	26	26	25	26	26	18	26
Greg Spires – TB	25.86	26	26	26	26	22	25	26	26	26
Richard Seymour – NE	25.86	22	26	26	26	26	26	26	25	26
Tommie Harris – Chi	26.00	26	26	26	20	26	26	26	26	26
Kenechi Udeze – Min	26.00	26	26	26	23	26	26	26	26	26
Lance Johnstone – Min	26.00	24	26	26	26	26	26	26	26	26

LINEBACKERS	Avg Rank	V a d e r	i r o n	j o s h y	G r e a t	P l i n d	d r e a m	s t o m p	A 2	V a n t e r
Keith Bulluck – Ten	1.71	3	5	1	1	2	1	1	3	1
Ray Lewis – Bal	2.14	2	2	2	2	1	5	3	2	2
Donnie Edwards – SD	2.57	1	3	3	6	4	2	2	1	3
Brian Urlacher – Chi	4.57	5	1	4	7	3	6	6	4	4
Jonathan Vilma – NYJ	6.71	9	6	15	4	5	11	4	6	6
Derrick Brooks – TB	7.71	4	9	6	3	12	14	5	10	8
Takeo Spikes – Buf	7.86	7	8	9	5	9	3	8	9	9
Mike Peterson – Jax	9.14	11	7	8	10	8	10	12	5	10
Zach Thomas – Mia	10.00	6	39	7	12	6	21	7	11	5
Keith Brooking – Atl	10.43	8	24	12	9	7	8	16	7	13
Jamie Sharper – Sea	10.57	12	12	5	18	10	7	11	8	14
Nick Barnett – GB	13.00	20	4	13	11	14	15	14	13	11
James Farrior – Pit	13.14	10	15	17	14	16	4	10	15	12
London Fletcher – Buf	13.14	33	13	14	20	11	13	9	12	7
Dan Morgan – Car	16.43	14	35	20	19	15	16	13	14	17
Antonio Pierce – NYG	18.14	25	11	21	26	22	9	17	16	15
Lavar Arrington – Was	18.14	41	10	18	13	17	20	19	22	18
Will Weatherspoon – Car	19.00	16	14	10	28	21	12	27	24	19
Jeremiah Trotter – Phi	21.86	34	20	19	21	19	30	22	19	22
Ed Hartwell – Atl	22.43	24	28	26	16	18	36	24	21	16
Andra Davis – Cle	24.00	21	21	27	23	35	37	15	18	23
Brian Simmons – Cin	25.86	18	22	29	41	29	19	31	27	24
Julian Peterson – SF	26.86	28	45	23	15	13	27	37	37	21
Dat Nguyen – Dal	28.00	19	27	32	24	38	26	33	29	25
Eric Barton – NYJ	28.43	15	37	24	32	30	23	41	25	28
D.J. Williams – Den	29.29	23	51	25	22	25	25	29	44	34
Sam Cowart – Min	29.57	51	16	35	37	23	46	30	14	20
Al Wilson – Den	29.71	17	44	28	17	46	22	25	41	31
Lance Briggs – Chi	29.86	26	50	11	34	44	17	18	33	37
Terrell Suggs – Bal	30.57	29	26	22	8	24	48	39	49	26
Kendrell Bell – KC	30.86	35	19	30	43	27	43	34	20	27
Derek Smith – SF	32.29	13	33	51	38	40	28	28	23	36
Danny Clark – Oak	32.57	22	40	16	33	51	34	23	36	40
Marcus Washington – Was	32.57	32	25	31	35	48	33	32	26	39
Kailee Wong – Hou	37.00	37	42	43	51	33	18	21	51	32
Steve Foley – SD	37.00	49	34	34	31	51	31	35	32	44
Joey Porter – Pit	38.14	27	29	51	51	26	38	46	31	45
Teddy Lehman – Det	38.43	51	17	44	36	42	41	26	51	29
Derrick Johnson – KC	39.43	51	23	37	25	39	51	51	38	35
Ian Gold – Den	40.14	42	31	47	29	51	51	51	28	30
Morlon Greenwood – Hou	40.29	43	43	33	39	51	51	20	40	33
Shelton Quarles – TB	43.14	30	51	40	50	34	40	36	51	51
Chris Claiborne – StL	43.86	36	51	36	42	20	44	51	51	47
Jeff Ulbrich – SF	44.29	45	30	49	51	51	51	43	30	41
Akin Ayodele – Jax	46.14	38	51	42	51	36	39	51	51	51
Cato June – Ind	47.00	51	51	51	44	51	24	44	50	38
Courtney Watson – NO	47.14	51	18	51	51	43	51	40	51	43
Odell Thurman – Cin	47.14	51	41	51	51	31	51	51	34	51
David Thornton – Ind	47.14	39	46	50	51	47	51	51	43	42
Karlos Dansby – Ari	47.29	50	51	51	46	32	35	47	51	51

DEFENSIVE BACKS	Avg Rank	V a d e r	i r o n	j o s h y	G r e a t	P l i n d	d r e a m	s t o m p	A 2	V a n t e r
Ed Reed – Bal	1.00	1	1	1	1	1	1	2	1	1
Rodney Harrison – NE	2.00	2	3	2	2	2	2	1	2	2
Ronde Barber – TB	3.86	3	2	6	3	4	5	3	5	4
Troy Polamalu – Pit	4.71	6	4	5	4	3	8	4	7	3
Dunta Robinson – Hou	6.14	5	12	3	6	26	4	6	3	7
Roy Williams – Dal	7.14	10	5	8	8	5	16	9	4	5
Madieu Williams – Cin	9.43	26	7	13	18	6	6	8	8	6
Marcus Trufant – Sea	11.71	4	26	26	5	9	3	19	9	10
Darren Sharper – Min	12.29	7	19	10	13	11	19	11	10	12
Nate Clements – Buf	13.43	12	26	11	10	17	7	26	6	11
Adrian Wilson – Ari	14.29	9	23	7	17	26	9	5	26	9
Sean Taylor – Was	14.29	26	21	9	16	7	10	10	21	13
Erik Coleman – NYJ	15.57	19	11	22	26	13	13	15	16	8
Sammy Knight – KC	16.86	13	10	15	19	21	26	7	20	20
Adam Archuleta – StL	18.29	26	17	21	20	14	18	21	17	14
Antoine Winfield – Min	19.14	26	20	16	12	24	17	12	26	19
Michael Lewis – Phi	19.29	11	22	18	26	10	23	24	19	18
Brian Dawkins – Phi	20.29	26	26	23	11	8	11	22	26	23
Donovin Darius – Jax	20.57	14	26	17	9	26	26	13	22	26
Terrence McGee – Buf	20.71	26	13	12	26	26	15	25	14	26
Tony Parrish – SF	21.00	21	18	20	26	20	26	26	15	16
Mike Green – Chi	21.71	8	26	4	23	26	26	17	26	26
Mike Brown – Chi	21.86	26	14	26	24	16	21	16	26	24
Michael Boulware – Sea	22.00	26	6	26	26	15	26	20	26	15
Lawyer Milloy – Buf	22.14	25	26	14	7	12	26	26	26	26
Terrence Kiel – StL	22.43	24	16	26	26	26	26	14	12	25
Thomas Davis – Car	22.86	26	8	26	26	26	26	26	13	17
Sean Jones – Cle	23.86	26	15	26	26	26	26	26	11	22
Bryan Scott – Atl	24.14	26	9	26	26	25	22	23	26	21
Ken Lucas – Sea	24.29	26	26	19	21	26	12	26	26	26
Jerametrius Butler – StL	24.71	23	26	26	26	23	14	26	23	26
Mike Minter – Car	24.86	20	26	24	14	26	26	26	26	26
Dwight Smith – NO	24.86	17	26	26	26	26	26	18	26	26
Terence Newman – Dal	25.14	22	26	26	26	18	24	26	26	26
Gibril Wilson – NYG	25.71	26	25	25	26	26	26	26	18	26

Legend
Vader = VaderFin
iron = ironman
joshy = joshyboy72
Great = GreatestShowOnEarth
Plind = Plindsey88
dream = dream_017
stomp = stomperrob
A2 = A2theIzzo

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!

Individual Defensive Player Rankings

Related Cafe Articles