John Abraham

Abraham is one of the league's worst sources of tackles among 4-3 defensive ends, but he still seems to have it as a pass rusher, even heading into his age-34 season. He finished last year with 9.5 sacks in 15 games, as well as four forced fumbles. His durability has always been a worry and gets more concerning with each passing year, but Abraham has managed to miss just two games the last five years. Move him up in the rankings if your league rewards disproportionately for sack production.

If Abraham were younger and less of an injury concern, he’d probably be ranked a bit higher. There’s no particular reason to expect a drop-off with Abraham after his 13 sacks last season, but doubt creeps in a bit more with each year he ages. Still, Abraham deserves relatively high IDP consideration since he has double-digit sacks in three of the last four seasons. He’s probably too much of an edge specialist to make a big impact against the run (just 40 tackles last season), but he remains a good option for leagues that reward significantly for sacks.

After dropping the quarterback 26.5 times in 2007 and 2008 combined, Abraham’s sack total dropped to just 5.5 last season, much to the disappointment of fantasy owners. Can he bounce back? His coach thinks so. Mike Smith told reporters, “We still felt like he had some very effective rushes. The sacks just didn’t come.” We’re willing to give Abraham the benefit of the doubt and call last season the NFL equivalent of a poor batting average on balls in play, but the sacks had better come, because Abraham doesn’t generate enough tackles to merit a fantasy roster spot otherwise.

Falcons coach Mike Smith did a remarkable job of managing the immensely talented – and notoriously brittle – Abraham last season. Smith and his staff limited Abraham’s workload – to keep him as fresh and healthy as possible – and moved him from side-to-side on the defensive line to set up the best possible matchups. The strategies worked – Abraham posted a career-high 16.5 sacks and played in all 16 games, despite a variety of minor injuries. Expect more of the same this season – but bear in mind, nearly all of Abraham’s IDP value comes from the pass rush – he’s near-invisible against the run with just 70 tackles in the last two years combined.

Abraham came through with another big year in sacks with 10, though recorded only 32 total tackles. His speed is still there as well as his longevity, but his sparse tackles make him a low-end start in the deepest of leagues.

Let's pile on the cons. Abraham has played 16 games just three times in seven NFL campaigns. Last year wasn't one of them: he played eight due to a groin problem that required midseason abdominal surgery. He returned to full-time duty and registered just one sack in the season’s six remaining games, and 14 fantasy points in that span. The snake-bit star also tore ligaments in his right thumb, but played through the injury. During the offseason, opposite end Patrick Kerney left in free agency, and stud tackle Rod Coleman was injured and could miss the beginning of the season. There have got to be an awful lot of pros to counteract that list of cons, and there are. Foremost is Abraham's tantalizing talent. A bit undersized at end, Abraham has exceptional body control and initial burst. He's a phenomenal athlete with matching instincts and feel for the game. Some without as much talent get the most of their ability through hard work. When Abraham can get the most of his body, there's hardly anyone better on the field. To make up for losing Kerney, the Falcons drafted Jamaal Anderson, who should go a long way toward replenishing the line. The final word on Abraham? When he plays 16 games, he makes at least 10 sacks and 58 total tackles. Pray for health and reap the rewards.

Stop the presses. Abraham played 16 games last year. He’d done it only twice before in his six-year career. And while he always had a top-20 fantasy-points-per-game average in the injury riddled years, last year he actually finished in the top 20 proper. With the move to Atlanta, things are about to get interesting. He’d played with some fine linemen in New York, such as Shaun Ellis and Jason Ferguson, but in Hotlanta, he’ll line up opposite Patrick Kerney in what will likely be one of the more productive tandems in the league. Abraham is light for his height (6-4, 258) but plays well in run support. In his three 16-game seasons, his solo tackles have ranged from 44 to 53, forming a very attractive tackle base to which owners add the double-digit sacks he garners when playing more than 12 games.

It’d be a sight to behold if Abraham could play 16 games again. In five seasons he’s done it only twice and in those years averaged 50.5 solo tackles and 11.5 sacks. Sadly, he’s played just 19 games in the past two years, including 12 last year before going out for the year with an LCL tear. Currently in a hold out and tagged as the Jets’ franchise player, there’s even more frustration surrounding him; you’d like to see a player coming off an injury working out with the team and in practice as much as possible. When on the field, Abraham is one of the most prolific sackers in the game. He began last year shifting in between end and outside linebacker in a 3-4 alignment, but defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson quickly put his best pass rusher more consistently up on the line, and Abraham went off for 7.5 sacks in four games. Keep an eye on his contract status and health, and if signs are good, enjoy the production.

Abraham is poised for a massive year if he can remain healthy. He managed six sacks and 25 solo tackles in the Jets' first seven games (six of which he played)of 2003 before missing the rest of the season due to a groin injury. The team's more aggressive defense under new defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson, formerly the secondary coach in Baltimore, will feature Abraham both as a lineman in a 4-3 and as a linebacker, his college position, in a 3-4. They'll also play some 4-6 and be able to slip between packages at the line of scrimmage to throw opposing offenses some curves. Abraham's athletic ability should net him plenty of solo tackles in these schemes and sustain his 10-plus sack numbers. Look out for some pass coverage stats as well, which he's never had previously in his career.

Abraham is the prototypical undersized pass-rushing defensive end whose quickness and ability to beat slower, bulkier offensive linemen off the snap has been compared to that of Lawrence Taylor. While Abraham isn't likely to dominate like Taylor, his 23 sacks over the last two seasons and solid tackle numbers for a pass-rushing end make him a worthy choice on draft day.