Leonard Little

Little is healthy and running well after offseason toe surgery which means he could be a real IDP steal as the Rams' starting left defensive end.

Unlike some of the other big-name sack artists, Little achieves his double-digit sack seasons without much help. Since Grant Wistrom left for Seattle in 2004, Little hasn't had a consistent threat opposite him at the other end position. Little struggled, in fact, when Wistrom left, but some of that might have had to do with his legal problems. A high-motor, extremely athletic monster, Little is aggressive in the pass rush, which nets plenty of quarterbacks but often takes him out of position against the run. He can match guys like Jason Taylor and Aaron Kampman in solo tackles, but usually turns in single-digit assists compared to their 20 or 30 assist efforts. Still, he's one of the few players for whom you can predict double-digit sacks with confidence, and you can't argue with a track record that puts him in the year-end Top 20 year after year.

Little’s career has been all over the place. He played just six games in each of his first two seasons. He then spent time as a pass-rush specialist, setting a career-high 14.5 sacks against just 28 solo tackles in 2001. Since 2002, however, he’s been a full-time starter, though he tends to miss two or three games each year. In fact, he’s played 16 games just twice in eight seasons. Ouch. But last year’s two missed games were due to the midseason shooting death of his brother, and he wasn’t the same for some time after. Little began the year with 3.5 sacks in the first three games and really didn’t do much at all through the middle of the season before closing out with an impressive 5.5 sacks in the last three weeks, which was nonetheless too late for some owners’ seasons. Still, despite the injuries and his various brushes with the law (and there have been a few), Little has been in the linemen year-end top 20 five years running. He’s the type to rely on physical ability rather than technique at times, but with his tools, that’s a good problem to have. With more talent around him at tackle and linebacker expect Little to bounce back from a sub-par year with a plethora of tackles for loss to go along with a minimum of 10-12 sacks.

Boy, did Little miss Grant Wistrom last year. Without another pass rush threat to deal with, opposing offensive lines double-teamed Little all season. The Rams lined him up a few steps back from the line of scrimmage, they put him in the middle behind the line, they started him from his traditional left end position – they did anything they could to free him up, and it did shake lose what chances he had, but the season was almost a bust. If not for those two touchdowns, he would have dropped out of the top 20, which is beyond the depth of most leagues. It was a far cry from a 2003 season in which Little missed four games to a torn pectoral muscle yet managed 41 solo tackles and 12.5 sacks in 12 games. There were concerns Little would be suspended four games in 2004 due to a DWI charge, but the case was not adjudicated until this past offseason and resulted in an acquittal. His conviction for speeding had a provision attached that he cannot consume alcohol for a year, but he seems to have avoided a suspension. Little owners will need Tony Hargrove, a second-year player, to step up at the opposite end. There’s a fair chance of this, so Little is someone to consider on draft day.

Little’s 41 solo tackles, 12.5 sacks, six forced fumbles and one interception last year ain’t bad. Of course, he did that in just 12 games, missing four midseason to a torn pectoral. He may have just 12 games – or possible less – to produce in 2004 as well, owing to the expected suspension his April DWI arrest could incur. Besides legal troubles, Little no longer has Grant Wistrom attacking with him from the other side of the line, and you can forget a repeat of that pick – he has just three passes defended in six years. He’s got the talent for a 50-solo-tackle, 15-sack season and would jump up a few slots if he isn’t suspended.

Little has racked up 26.5 sacks the last two seasons, including 12 in just 14 games in 2002. He won't help you much in the tackle department, but if he stays healthy, double-digit sacks should be no problem. Having Grant Wistrom on the opposite side for another season can only help.