2022 NFL Draft Fantasy Fallout: Defensive Back

May 20, 2022 Nate Marcum
NFL Draft Fallout Kyle Hamilton Fantasy In Frames

Today, we continue our 2022 NFL Draft Fantasy Fallout series by talking about the other side of the ball, specifically IDP.

Let’s wrap up our series by talking about the NFL Draft Fantasy Fallout at the Defensive Back position.

Immediate IDP Impacts

Kyle Hamilton- Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens entered the 2022 NFL Draft with the enviable position of no true area of weakness that they had to address. It made it that much easier to select Kyle Hamilton with the 14th pick.

Hamilton, a 2021 All-American from Notre Dame, finished his NCAA career with 138 combined tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 8 INTs, and 16 pass defended. During his career at Notre Dame, Hamilton was tasked with lining up all over the field. He played more than 20% of his snaps in the box, more than 25% in the slot, and nearly 40% at Free Safety. This type of flexibility will allow the new DC, Mike MacDonald, countless different ways to get him on the field.

As far as immediate impact, the Ravens already have Chuck Clark and newly signed Marcus Williams in the secondary. I have to believe that they will get creative and find ways to line him up all over the field. It wouldn’t shock me to see him even pilfer some snaps away from Patrick Queen if he continues to miss tackles in important games. Plus, don’t forget that Hamilton graded out as a top 30 safety in coverage!

.

Lewis Cine-Minnesota Vikings

There may be mixed feelings about Lewis Cine’s immediate IDP impact, but if the opportunity at a full complement of snaps is important, I can’t help but include him.

Yes, there is a good chance that Cine lines up mostly at Free Safety with deep coverage. Yes, Cine did line up primarily at Free Safety while at Georgia. No, this does not take away all IDP value going forward!

For starters, he is replacing Xavier Woods, who in 2021 had recorded 108 tackles, 1 sack, 10 passes defended, 3 INT, and 2 Forced Fumbles. It is impossible to assume that he can step into that role and replicate those numbers, but it shows that the floor isn’t completely lava.

During his final season at Georgia, Cine led the Bulldogs in tackles as well as PDs.

Jaquan Brisker-Chicago Bears

Brisker steps right into a role with the Bears that could lead to immediate IDP success. For starters, the Bears project to be one of the worse offensive teams in the NFL, thus leading to a significant amount of snaps for the rookie safety!

When I am looking for IDP stars at DB, I like to focus on where they plan on lining up on the field. Brisker is my prototypical box safety, meaning he plans on spending a heavy percentage of his snaps near the line of scrimmage. This is extremely important for a defensive back on a team like the Bears, who are positioned to be trailing in games. When a defense is trailing, typically that means they will be seeing a heavy dose of run plays to eat the clock.

Last year with Penn St, Brisker saw nearly 60% of the snaps in the box, and in turn led to 63 tackles, with 6 TFLs. Brisker has the prototypical size (6’1”/204) and hard-hitting approach that I love to watch on the field!

Jalen Pitre- Houston Texans

Jalen Pitre fits the same type of mold as Jaquan Brisker. Here is a hard-nosed box safety that joins a team that is likely to see significant snaps on the defensive side of the ball.

Pitre, with Baylor, totaled 195 tackles, 36 TFL, 8 sacks, 4 INTs, and 10 PDs over his career. Those are staggering numbers, that is even more amazing when you see that he is a little undersized by Safety measurables. The good news is that you can measure a person’s height and weight, but you can’t measure his tenacity and effort on that same scale!

The Texans, after losing Justin Reid, are in need of a Day 1 starter to line up next to Eric Murray. Pitre appears to be that guy! While it is assumed that he will see significant snaps in the box, seeing as he played the majority of his snaps in college near the line, it is still a decision that coach Lovie Smith will have to decide.

Dynasty IDP Impacts

Daxton Hill-Cincinnati Bengals

Daxton Hill is an absolute monster coming out of Michigan. The 5-star recruit was choosing between Alabama and Michigan and decided on the Wolverines. After a pretty amazing 3 years for the Maize and Blue, which resulted in 149 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 4 INT, and 15 PDs, he joins a Bengals team looking for added depth in the secondary.

It is no secret that there is an obvious blockade to significant playing time in Cincy, and that blockade is known as Jesse Bates and Vonn Bell. While it is still to be determined if Bates will sign his franchise tender, it is not too soon to look to the future of this team.

Let’s assume that Bates does sign the tender, don’t be shocked to see Hill lined up as a “boundary corner” in addition to multiple spots across the field. Hill had played nearly 600 snaps in the slot last year, so it shouldn’t come as a shock to see him spell Eli Apple or Mike Hilton occasionally.

When it is all said and done, don’t be surprised when Hill is leading this Bengals secondary for the foreseeable future.

Bryan Cook-Kansas City

The Kansas City Chiefs had addressed their CB situation in the 1st round when they traded up to take Trent McDuffie. It didn’t take long for them to address their need at S with the departures of both Tyrann Mathieu and Daniel Sorenson.

Bryan Cook, a 6’1”/208lb safety out of Cincinnati absolutely exploded in his final year of college. Playing in 14 games, he tallied 96 tackles, 5 TFL, 2 INT, 9 PD, and a minuscule 7.5% missed tackle rate!

Cook possesses a lot of the intangibles that DC Steve Spagnuola coveted in Tyrann Mathieu. Cook can play in the box (306 snaps in 2021), he can line up in the slot (167 slot snaps), and he can roam in the outfield (9 PD/2 INT).

While the Chiefs did bring in Justin Reid, and have Juan Thornhill, it won’t take much to see Cook play his way into significant snaps.

J.T. Woods- Los Angeles Chargers

J.T. Woods is a name to keep an eye on as the season progresses. Currently, the Chargers don’t have a need for him, other than a depth piece. Fast forward to next season tho, and the contract of Nasir Adderley will expire.

Woods has really developed an eye for the ball over the past two seasons, where he has recorded 8 INT and a TD. While he didn’t grade extremely well, per PFF, he does have a season to learn the nuances and let his blazing 4.36/40 speed play at the NFL level.

Nick Cross- Indianapolis Colts

Similar to the path that J.T. Woods has, so does Nick Cross. Khari Willis is in the final year of his contract, and if Cross can develop into the Safety that many envision, the need to sign Willis is greatly reduced.

Cross is an absolute burner (4.34) and has the size to boot! Standing at 6’1”/210, Cross could develop into that hybrid safety that all IDP fans clamor for!

It will be interesting to see if Cross can get some solid reps this season. I, for one, will have at least 1 share stashed away on my taxi squad in hopes of a sophomore sensation!

That wraps up our installment of the 2022 NFL Draft Fantasy Fallout: Defensive Back.

For more defensive back coverage post-NFL Draft, tune into our IDP ONLY podcast “Shoot The Gap” this week to hear about more names to keep track of heading into your rookie drafts as well as in-season drafts this season.

Also, make sure to check out our site’s draft fallout series by clicking here!

About Nate Marcum 134 Articles
Director of IDP Content. 2021 Top 5 IDP Ranker per FantasyPros ECR. 20+ year Fantasy Baseball/Football addict. Addiction manifested into obsession, which drove me to writing/podcasting. Obsession is still present, but now it’s directed at helping others around me get better!
Website Twitter