• Philadelphia Eagles’ linebacker T.J. Edwards is shaping up to be a steal in IDP drafts due to his improvement and familiarity with the team's defense.
• Due to Camryn Bynum's noteworthy play last year and in training this year, Minnesota Vikings’ first-round pick Lewis Cine is not a lock to start at safety in 2022.
• Due to Devin Bush's struggles in recent seasons and Pittsburgh Steelers‘ new defensive scheme, Myles Jack is the team's only linebacker worth drafting right now .
• Click here for updated IDP rankings for the 2022 season.
With the NFL preseason about to kick off for all 32 teams this week, there are many fantasy football-relevant positional battles to monitor for IDP drafts.
Some of the most relevant battles are highlighted below with predictions and information on which IDPs are draftable right now and which ones are better left as waiver-wire claims after the season kicks off.
Philadelphia Eagles LBs: Kyzir White vs. T.J. Edwards vs. Nakobe Dean
After multiple years of poor options at the position, the Eagles suddenly have an influx of talent at the linebacker position. While this is great news, IDP managers need to determine who to trust from this group for fantasy purposes in 2022.
Edwards’ progression and familiarity with the defense have made him the likely front-runner for the Eagles to start this season, and in turn, for IDP managers to draft. Known for his strong run defense — recently earning a 78.0 run defense grade and just a 4.9% missed tackle rate in 2021 — should allow him to lock into the early down role. His improvement as a coverage defender (68.8 coverage grade last year) can help him stay on the field for all three downs.
This leaves Dean against White for the second linebacker spot — Davion Taylor, who is making waves at camp, also deserves to be included in the competition. However, Dean and White are still good candidates for a major role in a defense that had two full-time linebacker jobs just a season ago. While Dean may be the long-term answer, his lack of NFL experience and injury concerns that caused his drop in the NFL Draft will likely force Philadelphia to bring him along slower, at least to start the season. White and Edwards have been running with the first-team defense throughout training camp and appear to be locked into starting roles. Edwards may be the most overlooked linebacker of the group, making him the best value heading into 2022.
T.J. Edwards’ linebacker ranks in 2021
| PFF grade
(LB rank) |
Run defense grade
(LB rank) |
Missed tackle rate
(LB rank) |
Coverage grade
(LB rank) |
| 76.3 (11th) | 78.0 (T-7th) | 4.9% (T-7th) | 68.8 (16th) |
PREDICTION: T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White are the IDP-relevant starters to draft in 2022.
Minnesota Vikings Safety: Lewis Cine vs. Camryn Bynum
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