2025 IDP Season Recap: Defensive Line
Mike Woellert dives into seven of the top DL performances in 2025 to figure out what we can carry forward to 2026.
We’re continuing the 2025 recap series, and this week, our focus shifts to the defensive line. For the edge rushers who overperformed expectations, can we expect the same in 2026? What about those who are in decline—can they turn things around? And let’s show some love to the defensive tackle position, too (looking at you, Jeffery Simmons). As I perused overall finishes, here are seven DL who jumped out at me.
Brian Burns, EDGE, New York Giants
If it weren’t for a record-breaking year out of Myles Garrett, we might be talking about Brian Burns as the Defensive Player of the Year. Burns set a career-high in sacks (16.5), and it was his second double-digit sack season over the last four. Burns has recorded fewer than 8 sacks just once. Although he didn’t set career numbers in pressures, he was efficient, with a 30.2% pressure-to-sack conversion.
Now, that’s an unsustainable number, so am I going to buy at his ceiling in 2026? There’s a new coach in town, John Harbaugh, but the DC is still up in the air. The Ravens were near the bottom in blitz rate (23.2%), however, Burns had a 37.5% blitz rate. I would think Harbaugh would want to hire someone to play to his strengths.
Here was one of Burns’ sacks on the blitz, as he got through Philadelphia’s line:
I’m not expecting Harbaugh to make any drastic change to how they utilize their pass rushers, and if they bring in Jones, I’d expect him bring the same principles and philosophy to the defense. The emergence of Abdul Carter and, hopefully, the improvement of Dexter Lawrence, will allow Burns to continue seeing less attention.
Now, I’m not buying at the ceiling, but I’d be happy with him as my DL2.
Jared Verse, EDGE, Los Angeles Rams
Jared Verse is going to be a hot topic in IDP leagues in 2026. Is he just a pressure machine who can’t finish? I choose to look at Verse’s 2025 season with the glass half-full. While he didn’t finish with double-digits, he increased his sack production by 67%. I will say, his sack production was spread out evenly throughout the season.
Now, if you were in leagues that rewarded QB hits, he finished as the DL13 with 20 regular-season QB hits. His pass rush metrics tell you he’s still among the elite at generating pressure, with a 15.3% pressure rate and a 20.8% win rate.
He has a good burst and a stab move, which he uses here to almost get the sack:
I think Verse represents a solid buy-low in dynasty if your leaguemates are just valuing sacks over the underlying metrics. I’m buying once again in 2026.
Jalyx Hunt, EDGE, Philadelphia Eagles
Jalyx Hunt was a popular breakout/sleeper candidate headed into the 2025 season. It didn’t look great after the first seven games, but the lights turned on in Week 8.
Through his first seven games, Hunt had zero sacks, but the metrics indicated a stretch of sacks was incoming. While the win rate wasn’t high (10.3%), he was generating consistent pressure with a 13.9% pressure rate and 7 QB hits. His matchups didn’t help, as he faced some of the top offensive lines in the league (Denver, Los Angeles Rams, Tampa Bay, and Minnesota.
Here, Hunt gets around the pulling guard and almost gets the sack:
Over the next 10 games, Hunt generated a 17.8% win rate and 17.4% pressure rate, resulting in 6.5 sacks in that span. Jaelan Phillips’ addition certainly helped.
Here was one of Hunt’s sacks in the second half against Green Bay:
The momentum is certainly in Hunt’s favor heading into 2026, and his strong finish to 2025 is certainly the catalyst. I don’t think he’s going to be a DL1, but I think there’s DL2 upside as long as the defense remains intact under Vic Fangio.
Cameron Jordan, EDGE, New Orleans Saints
Cameron Jordan had one of his best seasons since the 2021 season in his age 36 season. He’ll be 37 once the 2026 season kicks off. I’m not buying in 2026.
Here are his finishes over the last four seasons:
2021: DL8
2022: DL26
2023: DL134
2024: DL90
So, the decline started a few years ago. However, Jordan saw more snaps on the edge as an LOLB/ROLB (514 snaps) as opposed to having his hand in the dirt as DE and on the inside shoulder of the tackle/guard. He also had a big finish to the season with 4 sacks, taking advantage of favorable offensive line matchups.
In redraft, I’m not buying. In dynasty, you likely won’t get value back, so he’s a hold.
Jeffery Simmons, DT, Tennessee Titans
Jeffery Simmons was second among IDLs in pressures (64) and first in sacks (11) in 2025. He was a pressure monster with a 13.8% rate (elite among IDL), and was winning his blocks at a 25.6% rate. He has an edge rusher’s moveset and the strength of a bull.
Now we have to hope that Simmons doesn’t succumb to a Dexter Lawrence-type season, where his production falls off a cliff the season following a blow-up performance. (In fairness, Lawrence was coming off an injury.)
Here’s one of his QB hits that almost resulted in a sack:
Here’s another sack where he uses his strength to get through a double-team:
New Titans head coach Robert Saleh is going to love this beast of a human being. Saleh’s defensive schemes stress pressure up front, and Simmons is best when collapsing the pocket. He can move around on the obvious passing downs and move to the 3-tech or 4i (wherever protection is weakest).
I view him as the DT1 and a DL2 heading into 2026. It’ll be interesting to see where drafters value him and where his ADP lands. He was DL6 by Big 3 Scoring.
Tuli Tuipulotu, EDGE, Los Angeles Chargers
Tuli Tuipulotu is going to be an interesting edge target this year, especially since the Chargers lost Jesse Minter to the Baltimore Ravens as their new head coach.
Tuipulotu saw a 75% in pressure production from the 2024 season and generated a 16.7% pressure rate and a 17.9% win rate. While he didn’t win his blocks, as he had a below edge average pass rush get off at 0.97 seconds, he was relentless in pursuit.
Here’s one of his pressures that took around 3 seconds to set up. As you can see, Tuipulotu didn’t win cleanly, but continued to beat the block:
Here, Tuipulotu shows off a nice spin. He lacks the burst a typical edge possesses:
Now, Tuipulotu definitely overachieved in 2025. I had him projected for 8.6 sacks/11 QB hits in 2025, and he blew that out of the water. I think his pressure metrics suggest another double-digit sack season is in reach. I’m not sure I’m counting on it in 2026.
I’d be curious to see what Tuipulotu can fetch in dynasty. It might be interesting to add him to your trade block and find out. Right now, I’m taking Jared Verse, Josh Hines-Allen, or Laiatu Latu over Tuipulotu in redraft for 2026.
TJ Watt, EDGE, Pittsburgh Steelers
By Big 3 Scoring, TJ Watt was a weekly DL1, finishing as the DL12 in scoring. But it wasn’t due to a flashy sack total. Take a look at these numbers:
Watt had 86 pressures in 2023. He produced 99 combined in 2024 and 2025.
His pressure-to-sack-ratio was 22.7% in 2024. In 2025, it fell to 15.3%.
Watt increased his pressure rate to 9.8% from 9.2%, but had just a 15.7% win rate.
After recording 11.5 sacks in 2024, Watt’s total dropped to 7.5 in 2025.
Yes, Watt is still being chipped and doubled, but he’s not winning as consistently:
His fantasy points in 2025 were boosted thanks to a 5.5% big play rate (2 INTs and 8 defended passes). Watt missed 4 games, and in his absence, Nick Herbig and Alex Highsmith each showed they could handle the workload, while Jack Sawyer also flashed upside. Sawyer could see increased snaps in his second season, especially if a new head coach and defensive coordinator decide to go with a young movement.
I’m not sure I’d count on Watt for DL1 production in 2026.
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