These 2020 rookies are ranked for long-term dynasty purposes based on talent, coaching, supporting cast, and other factors. To get their outlook for 2020 alone, view our site projections, available in early May.
Remember to download Greg Cosell’s 2020 NFL Draft Guide for detailed breakdowns on the skill sets of many of these prospects.
Don’t see an LB pass rusher on here? Check out the IDP Rookie EDGE article.
1. Patrick Queen (Bal, 1st round, 28th overall from LSU)
Queen steps into a wide-open starting job, playing every down on a top defense. It doesn’t get much sweeter than that. Baltimore struggled to find a middle defender after C.J. Mosely left for free agency. They were hoping Patrick Onwuasor would step up, but he struggled for much of 2019 before heading to join Mosely on the Jets. Without a true successor - Chris Board, L.J. Fort, and Kenny Young didn’t prove to be the answer - the Ravens invested their top pick on Queen, considering ILB the lone weak spot on an otherwise stacked defense.
Queen isn’t the hard-hitting Darius Leonard type of LB, but his range and fluidity make him a threat when clean. He gets caught up when having to shed OLs, so he’s best behind a big, nasty D-line. With Baltimore’s stacked D-line (Calais Campbell and Derek Wolfe are huge upgrades next to Brandon Williams), he found a good home. The Ravens shuffled around a lot of LBs last season, with no true 3-down LB. But that seemed to be more a question of talent and not scheme. Queen has experience going man-to-man with RBs and TEs, as well as taking on the run. He’s experienced lining up in 5-man (Diamond) fronts and moving to the slot, so his time at LSU prepared him for today’s NFL defensive schemes. Assuming his block-shedding doesn’t prevent him from an early role, Queen is in line for 1,000 snaps, 125-135 tackles, and big-play upside to boost. At worst, these numbers are a year away if the Ravens continue with a rotation at LB. And that’s only because of the lack of training camp and pre-season reps which might slow his transition a bit.
2. Isaiah Simmons (Ari, 1st round, 8th overall from Clemson)
Inarguably the most dynamic LB in the Draft, Simmons practically invented a position for himself at Clemson that might as well be called the “unicorn.” Simmons played a dazzling number of positions in 2019, including ILB, both safety positions, EDGE defender, slot cornerback, and even some snaps as an outside corner. Or a simpler way to put it is that Simmons played his own position. And that’s how he thought of it.
Drafted 8th overall by Arizona, there are questions about where to play Simmons. DC Vance Joseph recently alluded to the Cards using him in multiple positions, and also partly how he was used in Clemson. Considering that those two responses align, we can comfortably say Simmons will be used often, and in multiple roles. That’s great for his snap count and great for his production, but not so good for his consistency. And given the nature of his unique role combined with the lack of practice time this offseason, there’s concern that his role won’t be fully fleshed out once the season starts. But despite the possibility of a slow start, Simmons has a once-in-a-lifetime set of skills that are perfectly matched for the modern versatile defense. It’s a matter of when not if Simmons will become a major threat as a 3-down defender.
3. Kenneth Murray (LAC, 1st round, 23rd overall from Oklahoma)
Murray would be at the top of this list on another team. He’s arguably a more complete LB than Patrick Queen, showing stronger ability to shed blocks in traffic. But Queen’s landing spot has made things a little murkier. I can’t emphasize “little” enough. Murray needs just a few breaks and he could easily be a top-5 LB. Those breaks? Well, the Chargers have a reputation for rotating LBs. For the last several years, they’ve mixed and matched LBs making it hard to have a truly elite fantasy producer.
We did see some light last season, though. Veteran Thomas Davis played a prominent (but not full-time) role at the WILL, recording 112 tackles. We’re hoping Murray surpasses that and becomes DC Gus Bradley’s new Telvin Smith in this system. If the cards hit the flop right, Murray will be a 140-150 tackle guy. But we’re predicting a more Davis-like run at first. And that’s still damn good.
4. Willie Gay, Jr. (KC, 2nd round, 63rd overall from Mississippi State)
Winning the Super Bowl cures a lot of ills. But if it weren’t for the Avengers-like comebacks of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense, there would be some serious finger-pointing going on at the KC D that put them in those holes in the first place. The first finger might have been aimed at the LB corps, specifically Anthony Hitchens. Hitchens’ play deteriorated over the course of the season, including some brutal games in the playoffs. Per PFF, Hitchens earned a grade over a 50 in just two of his last eight games, including a 38.2 in the Super Bowl.
Wait. Are we talking about Hitchens or Gay? Well, both. Hitchens highlighted a huge need for Kansas City, and Gay is a great option that likely would have been drafted in the first round by KC if the perfect running back for their system didn’t fall into their laps. Gay gives them a faster, rangier box defender to keep up with Seattle and San Francisco’s offensive styles.
Gay might not take over an every-down role at first, but if he can develop his run-game technique, he can grow into that role and push for triple-digit tackles over the next season or two.
5. Logan Wilson (Cin, 3rd round, 65th overall from Wyoming)
Another team that has struggled for defensive consistency in the middle, the Bengals elected to go offense with their first two picks (including taking Joe Burrow as the 1st overall pick), but then addressed their glaring need at LB with Wilson. Not as flashy or as versatile as first-round LBs such as Isaiah Simmons or Patrick Queen, Wilson fits the profile of a big old-school LB who loves to tackle. And while his size (250 pounds) and technique make him a dominant force against the run, Wilson is sneaky-good in coverage (he held his own in the slot against RBs), and is a consistent pass rusher and ballhawk. He might not be the space-eater/coverage guy that the NFL covets these days, but he has the skills to be an every-down player in this league in the mold of a Joe Schobert or Bernardrick McKinney.
6. Malik Harrison (Bal, 3rd round, 98th overall from Ohio State)
Baltimore is clearly taking its linebacker issues seriously. After drafting one of the top ILBs in Patrick Queen 28th Overall, they picked up who they hope will be his sidekick in Harrison in the 3rd round. Harrison will be an immediate upgrade against the run, but the question remains as to whether his recently-improved but historically-poor coverage skills can continue to develop. As of now, Harrison should be considered a 2-down run-stopper and 3rd-down blitzer, but that might not be enough to put him in the LB1/LB2 conversation. A little growth as a pass defender could change that, though.
7. Akeem Davis-Gaither (Cin, 4th round, 107th overall from Appalachian State)
After drafting the big and tough Logan Wilson to mash opponents who dare enter the box, they took his foil in the next round. Davis-Gaither is the lightning to Wilson’s thunder. He’s fast and rangy and can match up with the faster seam threats Wilson might otherwise lag behind. His experience in the slot and at outside corner and free safety will prepare him for an NFL-level set of coverage responsibilities. One of the top LBs heading into the draft, Davis-Gaither’s slip to the 4th round was regarded as being health-related. He recently had foot surgery and there are long-term concerns about his knee. If he can escape those issues and stay on the field, he could stick on all 3 downs.
8. Jordyn Brooks (Sea, 1st round, 27th overall from Texas Tech)
Brooks seemed like an odd pick for Seattle in the first round, but a closer look reveals how well he fits as their outside-inside linebacker of the future. Brooks can play both on the edge and as a stacked LB, and will likely play closer to his 2018 responsibilities at Texas Tech (an OLB who stays on the field in nickel packages) than his 2019 role (the MIKE). With K.J. Wright’s contract ending after the 2020 season -- and with the $10 million cap hit he currently carries -- Brooks could see the field some this season and be a 3-down LB by 2021 (if not sooner).
9. Zack Baun (NO, 3rd round, 74th overall from Wisconsin)
Baun’s skillset puts him on both the EDGE and LB list, as he’s got the potential to develop into either an on-ball EDGE or off-ball LB. Although HC Sean Payton made it clear that the tweener EDGE-LB prospect Baun would be a linebacker, he’s got plenty of tools to stick on the edge as a pass-rusher. What might hold him back is his size, as his body might not take a full-time job of going up against OTs. Baun is one of the better tacklers in this LB class, so he can be effective in the run game. It’s matching up against the bigger, faster TEs and the speedier RBs that should make his coaches worry about a traditional ILB role.
The Saints are a great fit though, as they dealt with this kind of player last season in A.J. Klein. Klein played 136 snaps on the edge and 641 snaps in the box (per PFF) and put up 69 tackles, 3 sacks, 5 TFL, and 5 other big plays. Baun is more gifted than Klein, and could easily eclipse those numbers in a similar role. Does Baun grow into a 3-down role in the near future? It’s not likely to happen this year, but he’s got the aptitude to be either an inconsistent but productive EDGE or a consistent but not elite LB.
10. Troy Dye (Min, 5th round, 132nd overall from Oregon)
One of the faster coverage LBs in the draft, Dye has the wheels to hang with TEs down the seam. He’s another converted safety who brings a DB mentality to the linebacker position, but as can be the case with such players, his run defense needs improvement. With both Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr playing well and on lengthy contracts, it might be a few years before Dye makes a consistent impact. If he can round out his game, Dye can be a 3-down LB in the mold of Cory Littleton.
