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.
1. Chase Young (Was, 1st round, 2nd overall from Ohio State)
There have only been a few “sure thing” pass-rushing prospects in recent years like Von Miller, Khalil Mack, and Joey Bosa. By all accounts, Young belongs in this group. Young’s pass-rushing array, physical traits, and game awareness is a combination that rarely comes along, and when it does, a team shouldn’t pass on him no matter how many talented players it has lining up on the ball already.
Such is the case in Washington, as the team had recently collected an impressive young D-line, including the ginormous Montez Sweat. Washington will need to make room for Young, so the Ryan brothers (Ryan Kerrigan and Ryan Anderson) might see a significant drop in playing time. Considering Kerrigan’s large cap hit, he may be the one who is asked to move on.
Either way, Washington’s newly-configured 4-3 defense is loaded with weapons with Young being a game-changing force who can play LDE, RDE, or the Joker position at a high level.
2. K’Lavon Chaisson (Jax, 1st round, 20th overall from LSU)
The ideal spot for a pass-rusher is a team that has some talent but is in desperate need of QB pressures. That’s the case in Jacksonville, as the team recently lost Calais Campbell and Marcel Dareus, and may lose Yannick Ngakoue (though that’s looking less likely). They do have up-and-coming DE Josh Allen, and if Ngakoue stays, Chaisson will walk right into a good mix of need and D-line help. The need will allow him to play a lot. The help will allow the rookie plenty of one-on-one matchups. If choosing between the blocking nightmare that is Ngakoue or a rookie, most double-teams are gonna head the veteran’s way.
Unlike the polished and NFL-starter-ready Chase Young, Chaisson has some developing to do. We may not see him be as productive as Young in his rookie season, but his career ceiling mirrors that of an elite pass-rusher. Also, with the team moving to a 3-4 base, Chaisson may be tagged as an LB, in which case his fantasy value slips a lot in traditional DL/LB/DB leagues.
3. Yetur Gross-Matos (Car, 2nd round, 38th overall from Penn State)
The Panthers have a long history of being a dominant defense, but most of the players who anchored those defenses have retired or moved on. New HC Matt Rhule invested heavily in rebuilding that dominant defense by using every pick in the draft on a defensive player. After drafting the most dominant DT in the Draft 7th overall (Derrick Brown), they swung back ‘round in the 2nd round and snagged Gross-Matos.
The Penn State star is built like the ideal NFL EDGE. His height, arm length, strength, and bend are all the makings of a long-time NFL starter. But too often he played out of control and won on pure energy. That’s not going to cut it against seasoned OTs in the NFL. But with coaching and development, Gross-Matos should flirt with double-digit sacks in the next few years.
Luckily, he landed on a team that needs his reps and will likely have him learn on the job. Expect an inconsistent rookie season with flashes of brilliance. As long as he keeps developing, there’s gold in them there hills in the coming seasons.
4. Darrell Taylor (Sea, 2nd round, 48th overall from Tennessee)
There was a time this offseason where Seattle’s D-line consisted of one starter. Luckily, someone in the building must have noticed and decided to sign a few DLs. But the Seahawks are still short on bodies up front. Well, they’re not short on bodies, they’re short on NFL-caliber bodies. Hence the 2nd round pick of Taylor.
Taylor was a bully to the SEC offensive linemen he faced his senior year. He flashed an NFL-ready bull rush move and is built for attacking the QB. And that is what Seattle desperately needs after losing Jadeveon Clowney in what appears to be a half-season rental. Taylor will compete with L.J. Collier, last year’s early round pass-rusher who struggled his rookie season. The opportunity is certainly there for Taylor to gain snaps immediately, but it might be only as a situational pass-rusher. Taylor’s a better pass-rusher than run-defender, and he played exclusively against right tackles.
Not a complete EDGE yet, Taylor’s few dominating pieces will get him on the field early. It’s rounding out his game that will make him a fixture on D-lines.
5. Zack Baun (NO, 3rd round, 74th overall from Wisconsin)
Head Coach Sean Payton made it clear that the tweener EDGE-LB prospect Baun would be a linebacker. Baun’s explosiveness makes him a threat as a pass-rusher, and as a sure tackler, he can be effective in the run game. But he’s too small to play full-time EDGE, and he’s too slow to keep up in coverage the way the modern off-ball LB has to.
But Payton had this type 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.
6. Julian Okwara (Det, 3rd round, 67th overall from Notre Dame)
Okwara will join his brother Romeo Okwara as a crime-fighting, err, quarterback fighting(?) duo dedicated to reviving a much-maligned Lions defense. The younger Okwara will compete for snaps with Da'Shawn Hand as a sub rusher. His run defense needs some work, but he’s super quick and explosive. He excelled in Wide-9 alignments and should be on the field Week One in 3rd-and-long situations at the least, while the rest of his game develops. We don’t see Hand posing too much of a long-term threat to Okwara’s development.
7. Josh Uche (NE, 2nd round, 60th overall from Michigan)
There’s a lot to like about Uche long-term as a presence on a defense, but he’s not your traditional EDGE. He played a good deal of off-ball blitzer as well as a traditional on-ball edge rusher. Part of that is likely because although he has the length and athleticism to get to the QB, he’s not a strong as you’d like a player to be when going up against NFL-caliber OTs for 50 snaps a game. It will require some creativity to get him in positions to apply pressure. Creativity is Bill Belichick’s middle name.
William Creativity Bellichick.
Getting drafted by the Patriots was a great fit for Uche, as their pass rushers typically move around quite a bit. Ex-Pats Jamie Collins and Kyle Van Noy are models for what Uche could be doing. Collins and Van Noy played in the box, off the edge, and sometimes in the slot (where they could rush as essentially a corner blitzer). It’s likely that Uche will occupy a similar Joker/Jack-of-all-Trades role on his new team. That role has produced inconsistent but at times elite fantasy production. Uche should be set to back up Chase Winovich to start the season, so don’t expect a lot out of the gate. But if Uche can turn into the next Collins or Van Noy, he’s got solid value as an EDGE or a DL.
8. Terrell Lewis (LAR, 3rd round, 84th overall from Alabama)
Lewis was drafted to replace the loss of Dante Fowler to free agency. He was also drafted as insurance for the newly-acquired but ever-disappointing Leonard Floyd. Lewis needs a few things to fall his way to see a ton of playing time this season, but Floyd underperforming, or Samson Ebukam taking a step back is certainly possible. The more likely scenario is that Lewis grows into a part-time role until Floyd’s one-year contract is up, at which point he’ll get a shot at a full-time gig.
Lewis already has an injury history (he missed all of 2018), but as a starter at Alabama, he showed he has the skills to play at the NFL level. Developing consistency and adding a little more weight will benefit him while he waits for his shot.
9. Jonathan Greenard (Hou, 3rd round, 90th overall from Florida)
Greenard made a huge leap in 2019 after a mediocre 2017 and an injury-marred 2018. But Houston is missing a strong presence on the edge now that Jadeveon Clowney has departed and Brennan Scarlett got exposed with more snaps. Greenard seemed to get better the more snaps he played and was effective against the run and at chasing the QB. He hasn’t shown difference-making tools yet and was largely shut down against the better O-lines, so it’s unrealistic to expect much out of Greenard at this stage. But if he can build on his 2019 and benefit from learning from new teammates like J.J. Watt, he’s got the opportunity right in front of him. Offensive lines will have their hands full (literally) with Watt and 2nd-rounder Ross Blacklock, so don’t be surprised if Greenard makes a few highlight plays as a rookie.
10. Curtis Weaver (Mia, 5th round, 164th overall from Boise State)
Weaver looks the part of a situational pass-rusher in the NFL. Likely someone who would get exploited in the run game at this stage, Weaver will have time to develop and round out his game while he sits behind EDGEs Emmanuel Ogbah, Shaq Lawson, Kyle Van Noy, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Vince Biegel.
If that strikes you as a lot of traffic to get through, you’d be right. It’s hard to see Weaver making an impact this season. But his tools are strong enough to develop into an NFL starter, and on a team with a new coaching staff and an eye toward the future, Weaver is an intriguing dynasty stash. The Dolphins hope that they can rely more on players like Van Ginkel and Weaver so they can free up free agent money in the contracts of Ogbah and Lawson in a few years.
