This article is part of our IDP Analysis series.
We've had a day to digest the full Week 1 slate, and just like the skill-position players, there was plenty of both positive and negative movement for IDP options. Due to the number of situations worth monitoring, we'll focus on quick-hitting analysis on a higher volume of players before shifting to deeper analysis on fewer players later in the season as the amount of change around the league diminishes.
Risers
Keion White, DE 
White had the chance to step forward in the absence of Matthew Judon, and he successfully did just that in Week 1. He played 79 percent of snaps and got to the quarterback three times (2.5 sacks).
Travon Walker, DE 
Walker is a good reminder that players develop in different ways and at different rates. He may never be the optimal first-overall selection, but he picked up a pair of sacks in Week 1. That builds off of a strong close to the 2023 campaign, during which he had at least one sack in the final four games. Walker is disrupting the quarterback consistently, and this has the looks of being his breakout season.
Eku Leota, LB 
It's admittedly difficult to point to many positives in Carolina following the beat down they received from the Saints in Week 1. The weakside linebacker position was important to monitor, however, after D.J. Wonnum (quadriceps) was placed on the PUP list prior to the start of the season. Leota wasn't a full-time player (44
We've had a day to digest the full Week 1 slate, and just like the skill-position players, there was plenty of both positive and negative movement for IDP options. Due to the number of situations worth monitoring, we'll focus on quick-hitting analysis on a higher volume of players before shifting to deeper analysis on fewer players later in the season as the amount of change around the league diminishes.
Risers
Keion White, DE
White had the chance to step forward in the absence of Matthew Judon, and he successfully did just that in Week 1. He played 79 percent of snaps and got to the quarterback three times (2.5 sacks).
Travon Walker, DE
Walker is a good reminder that players develop in different ways and at different rates. He may never be the optimal first-overall selection, but he picked up a pair of sacks in Week 1. That builds off of a strong close to the 2023 campaign, during which he had at least one sack in the final four games. Walker is disrupting the quarterback consistently, and this has the looks of being his breakout season.
Eku Leota, LB
It's admittedly difficult to point to many positives in Carolina following the beat down they received from the Saints in Week 1. The weakside linebacker position was important to monitor, however, after D.J. Wonnum (quadriceps) was placed on the PUP list prior to the start of the season. Leota wasn't a full-time player (44 percent defensive snap rate) but got the most run in the position. He took advantage by tallying a sack and is a potential add in deeper IDP formats.
Henry To'oTo'o, LB 
To'oTo'o had a roller coaster of a rookie season. While his ups and downs may not be over yet, Week 1 saw him on an upward swing. He was on the field for 88 percent of Houston's defensive snaps and, importantly, greatly cut down on his missed tackle rate – a significant reason his rookie campaign didn't go according to plan.
Quay Walker, LB 
The degree to which Walker was really in danger of losing his role is unclear, but it is fair to say that he was often underwhelming through two seasons with the Packers given his lofty draft capital. The addition of Edgerrin Cooper reportedly put his role into danger entering 2024, yet Walker was on the field for 100 percent of snaps against the Eagles and tallied 11 tackles.
Christian Rozeboom/Troy Reeder, LB 
The Rams decision to trade away Ernest Jones opened opportunity in the Rams linebacker corps. It wasn't a surprise to see Rozeboom play a majority of defensive snaps, though rookie Omar Speights seemed to have a grip on the role opposite him. However, Troy Reeder played 100 percent of defensive snaps and recorded eight stops.
We can head back to Green Bay for one more option. Bullard was always projected to be a starting safety for the Packers after being taken in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but it was good to see that confirmed on the field. Like Walker, he played 100 percent of defensive snaps and logged 11 tackles.
Nick Cross, S 
Rodney Thomas was the incumbent free safety in Indianapolis, but he was vulnerable to a challenge after a relatively unproductive 2023 campaign. Cross has slowly seen his role increase across his first two years in the pros, but he looks to be in for a year-three leap. He played all 76 defensive snaps for the Colts in Week 1 while racking up a whopping 14 total tackles.
Tyler Nubin, S 
The Giants rivaled the Panthers for the most pathetic Week 1 performance, but we did get an answer as to whether Nubin or Dane Belton will be tabbed to step in for the departed Xavier McKinney. The answer was resoundingly Nubin, though he'll need to perform well to maintain his status, given the level of competition behind him.
Jaylen Watson, CB 
Corner typically isn't the most productive or intriguing IDP position, but Watson's Week 1 performance is worth taking note of. He clearly owns an outside corner job over Joshua Williams and led the Chiefs with 11 tackles Thursday. That's likely to be an outlier performance, but Watson has put his name on the radar early.
Fallers
Omar Speights, LB
Perhaps my own expectations were too high for Speights, but after the Rams traded away Jones, it appeared that he had the chance to start at inside linebacker. Instead, he played exclusively on special teams in Week 1. This could be a volatile position on the Los Angeles depth chart as the season progresses, but the only reason to roster Speights right now is as a stash.
Junior Colson, LB 
Colson was another disappointing rookie, albeit one with different expectations compared to Speights. Colson was a third-round pick in 2024 and followed his college coach to the pros. He played 54 percent of defensive snaps Sunday, clearly playing behind Daiyan Henley.
Jamin Davis, LB 
Davis being pushed down the depth chart shouldn't come as a surprise. He is in the final year of a disappointing rookie contract with a different coaching staff at the helm in Washington than the one that drafted him. Though it was expected, it was still disappointing to see Davis play only 17 percent of defensive snaps in Week 1. He would benefit from a change of scenery.
