Paul Worrilow

Worrilow burst onto the scene in his first two years in the league, racking up more than 125 tackles in both seasons, but he couldn't keep up with that pace last year, finishing with 95 tackles. While that number is still substantial, Worrilow proved to be a liability in pass coverage at times, and opposing offenses took note. He's a solid run stopper, but he enters training camp in a battle with rookie Deion Jones for the right to start at middle linebacker. Even if Worrilow wins the job, he'll likely be subbed out for Jones on third down or in obvious passing situations, so it seems unlikely Worrilow will be the IDP force he was during his first two seasons in the league.

On a per-snap basis, Worrilow might be the league's most prolific tackler. Unfortunately, he hasn't been particularly effective in real football, and his exact role is in question after the Atlanta defense underwent changes in the offseason. The Falcons added Brooks Reed, Justin Durant and O'Brien Schofield in free agency and then drafted Clemson's Vic Beasley eighth overall. Durant and Schofield are backups, but Reed and Beasley will definitely play. Still, new coach Dan Quinn praised Worrilow this offseason, and Worrilow is still expected to start. With 269 tackles in his first two years, Worrilow can pile up stats — if he's on the field.

Of all the breakout IDP stars of 2013, Worrilow was almost certainly the most surprising. An undrafted rookie out of Delaware, Worrilow was completely off the IDP radar at the season's start, serving as no more than the fourth linebacker for the Falcons. He had just 11 tackles heading into Week 8, at which point injuries piled up on the Atlanta starters. You could say those injuries allowed Worrilow to get his foot in the door, but it'd be more accurate to say he kicked it down. In his final 10 games of the year, Worrilow raced to 116 tackles, which would project to 185 tackles over a full season. Those numbers seem almost impossible to sustain, but Worrilow was incredibly consistent, exceeding double-digit tackles in six of the final nine weeks while dropping below nine tackles just once. Betting on a 10-game sample size for an LB1 investment is risky, but Worrilow's upside makes it a worthwhile gamble. He's locked in as a three-down player in Atlanta.

Will compete for a depth linebacker position in 2013.