One IDP Question for Every AFC and NFC North Team
Mike Woellert answers one IDP question for all eight North teams that could have IDP ramifications in 2026.
With the NFL offseason ramping up and the new league year set to start in March, questions regarding the NFL’s rosters are emerging. Not only that, but we will soon have 10 new head coaches. So, as we prepare for free agency and the draft, I want to pose one question for each team that could have IDP impact in 2026.
Today, we start with the AFC and NFC North.
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens
What does the hiring of Jesse Minter mean for Kyle Hamilton and Roquan Smith?
For the first time in 18 years, the Ravens have a new coach: former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. Minter typically uses a split-safety, zone coverage scheme. He also likes to disguise pre-snap and adjust post-snap, and puts his playmakers in position to make plays. He’ll maximize his impact players, which is good news for Roquan Smith and Kyle Hamilton. They won’t be locked into their alignments.
I think what could be even more beneficial for Hamilton is the addition of Mike Mickens, one of Hamilton’s former coaches at Notre Dame. He’ll know how to get the most out of Hamilton and could unlock his potential.
Minter’s defense in 2025 used the second-highest rate of zone (81.3%), so that has historically been IDP-friendly for LBs. Minter’s defenses hide coverages, limit the big plays, and move their pieces into high production spots. Smith should play free, and I can see Hamilton playing the “Derwin role,” allowing him to play all around the field.
Smith’s price should be discounted in 2026, and I’m buying into Hamilton as a DB1.
Cincinnati Bengals
What can we make of the Bengals’ edge rushing room?
It’s not pretty, especially with Trey Hendrickson and Joseph Ossai set to become free agents. As of now, their edge room consists of:
Myles Murphy
Shemar Stewart
Cam Sample
Isaiah Foskey
Cedric Johnson
This isn’t a D-line offensive coordinators are losing sleep over. Now, Murphy enjoyed a breakout season of sorts. He set a career-high in sacks, though it’s not much, with 5.5—and that actually led the team. Four of his sacks came from Week 10 on, and over those final 8 games, he generated a 12.6% pressure rate and 16.5% win rate.
Stewart had a forgettable rookie year, appearing in just 8 total games. I’m not calling him a bust. He showed inconsistencies with no real toolkit. He did see some chipping, but relied mostly on power.
The Bengals need to address the pass rush in the draft or free agency. The edge rusher cupboard is thin, so they might do well in re-signing Ossai. They could look at guys like Haason Reddick, Kwity Paye, or take chances on guys like Azeez Ojulari and Boye Mafe. If they address the position in the draft, I’m sure they’re hoping David Bailey or Reuben Bain make it to them, but I don’t see it happening.
As of now, I don’t see a consistent, viable IDP edge in Cincinnati. Murphy, at best, is a streamer with a good matchup.
Cleveland Browns
Can we count on Alex Wright as a viable IDP?
Alex Wright finished the 2025 season on a high note, recording 2.5 sacks over his final four games, but you are hoping for more than 5.5 sacks for a guy playing opposite Myles Garrett. Wright battled injuries throughout the season, but became a consistent source of pressure over the final weeks. He had 3+ pressures in three of his final 5 games, so there’s something to build on as we look to 2026.
The key question is the new Browns’ defensive coordinator. Jim Schwartz is upset after being passed over for the head coach position, and it remains to be seen if he can patch things up with the Browns or is coaching elsewhere in 2026.
Wright developed some pass rush moves, including a dip-n-rip:
Wright posted his second season with 5+ sacks, but can he take his game to the next level, especially if Schwartz does end up leaving Cleveland? If the Browns don’t address the edge position in free agency or in the draft, or add tertiary pieces, I think that tells you what the Browns think of Wright.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Will the Steelers move on from Patrick Queen?
If Mike Tomlin were still in charge, I might say no, but with a new coaching staff in town, the chances of moving off Patrick Queen are real.
The Steelers hired Mike McCarthy as their head coach, and just added Patrick Graham as DC (formerly of the Raiders). The only saving grace for Queen is that Graham played Devin White as his green dot LB… on purpose. So, he has a penchant for off-ball LBs who can’t play the run, tackle, or cover.
The Steelers have an out in Queen’s contract: they’d save $13.3 million by cutting him and owe just $3.9 million in dead cap. Since joining Pittsburgh, Queen’s had an average 50.2 PFF defense grade and missed 53 tackles. In the run, I saw Queen getting washed out and not much urgency—17 of his missed tackles came against the run:
Queen finished with 120 tackles, but they weren’t high-impact: just 56 solos and 8 TFLs. He finished as the LB32 in Big 3 Scoring and the LB26 in most tackle-heavy formats. He’s on the borderline of the LB “dead-zone” where he has a decent floor, but no real upside. If the Steelers do move on, will he land on an LB-needy team where he’ll continue to see a 3-down role? I’m not taking the chance in 2026.
NFC North
Chicago Bears
Can we “book” Austin for a full season of production?
Austin Booker got on my radar over the preseason. Specifically, this play:
Unfortunately, a preseason injury caused him to miss the first 8 weeks of the season. From Week 9 on, he played 80% of the snaps opposite Montez Sweat. He battled inconsistency throughout the season and generated an 8.5% pressure rate and 13% win rate. Not great numbers.
He did show up in the Wild Card game, generating a 10.6% pressure rate, which is average, but a definite uptick from his season average. The Rams did a good job holding him in check in the divisional round to just one pressure.
Booker just turned 23 and played in all 17 games as a rookie. A knee injury in the second game derailed what could have been a promising sophomore campaign. I choose to believe he’ll be healthy in 2026, and that the Dayo Odeyinbgo experiment is a failure. In just 8 games, Odeyinbgo tallied 1 sack.
In deeper leagues, I’ll be targeting Booker as a DL3, as long as Chicago doesn’t target any other edge rushers this offseason.
Green Bay Packers
How will the addition of Jonathan Gannon impact the defense?
Jeff Hafley, after two seasons as Green Bay’s DC, left to become the head coach of the Dolphins. The Packers wasted no time in replacing him, swooping in and hiring former Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon to head up the defense.
So, what will Gannon bring to the defense? During his stints with Philadelphia and Arizona, he deployed a quarters-heavy/two-high scheme, but didn’t allow himself to get pigeon-holed into one scheme. He also used multiple fronts and simulated pressures, creating pressure without the blitz.
All of this plays right into Micah Parsons’ wheelhouse. Gannon should move him around like a joker and see wide alignments and stand-up looks; either rushing or simulating pressure. Either way, Parsons is going to be a weapon.
As of now, we don’t know the status of Quay Walker, who saw growth and development under Hafley. The fact that Green Bay didn’t pick up his 5th year option tells me he’s headed to free agency. Edgerrin Cooper is a weapon with elite athleticism at the other off-ball LB spot. Cooper fell short of my lofty projections, but still had a productive second year with 118 tackles, 4 defended passes, 2 forced fumbles, and 4 TFLs (down from his 13 as a rookie).
Toward the middle of the season, Gannon went single-LB heavy in Arizona, but I think that was due to injury and talent deficiency at the position. He had to rely on Cody Simon as his green dot when Mack Wilson went down. As of now, Gannon has Cooper, Isaiah McDuffie, and Ty’Ron Hopper to work with.
Xavier McKinney should fit well in Gannon’s system. He’ll be asked to disguise his looks and should have upside for turnover production. Javon Bullard should spend most of his time in the slot, but could be one of his movable pieces. I can foresee Evan Williams as the split safety and a robber in his disguise packages.
As far as IDP goes, I’m still expecting Parsons and Cooper to be key pieces.
Detroit Lions
Who will be Aidan Hutchinson’s sidekick?
Al-Quadin Muhammad had the quietest 11-sack season you’ll ever witness. He played just 40% of the snaps and generated a 15% pressure rate along with a 20% win rate. Just as he becomes a useful edge, Muhammad is set to hit free agency. I think he should re-sign with the Lions; however, he could test free agency after his career year. Pride of Detroit recognizes Muhammad as a priority signing.
The free agent market is littered with a few big-name free agents (Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa to name a few), who could provide help for Hutchinson. The obvious name is Trey Hendrickson. However, the Lions are in a rough cap position, and even with the new cap number, they could be over the cap. However, Brad Holmes could open some space with some creative restructuring.
As far as the draft goes, I’ve seen Peter Woods (IDL, Clemson) mocked to Detroit, and in a recent Daniel Jeremiah mock, Akheem Mesidor (EDGE, Miami) landed there. Mesidor is going to be 25, but he’s experienced and is the type of player who can come in without any seasoning.
While the Lions’ Super Bowl window is still open (but starting to shut), they should take a swing at one of the top edges and try to re-sign Muhammad. A Mack or Hendrickson pairing with Hutchinson would be quite the duo, putting them in the conversation with Houston.
Minnesota Vikings
What can we expect from Dallas Turner in year three?
Dallas Turner enjoyed a breakout year and took advantage of Jonathan Greenard’s injury to compile a big second season. Turner had just 1.5 sacks on 19 pressures while averaging a 58.3% snap rate before Greenard went down. From Week 11 on, Turner had a 15.6% pressure rate and recorded 6.5 sacks while averaging a 67% snap rate.
Greenard returned for a few games but ended up missing the final three games of the season. The Turner breakout and his improvement in run defense could allow the Vikings to move on from Greenard, who has a modest $9.9 million dead cap hit.
In 2025, Turner displayed the speed and athleticism that showed up on his Alabama tape. Here, he beats the chip and uses his hands with a stab to get the tackle off balance and prevent him from locking on Turner:
I think there’s a lot to like about Turner heading into Year 3. As far as the draft goes, I think they concentrate on DB. In redraft leagues, I think I’d take a chance on Turner’s upside over Andrew Van Ginkel.
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Fantastic breakdown on the Vikings situation. The Dallas Turner analysis especially got me thinking about how opportunity and talent need to allign for a breakout. That 9% jump in snap share from Week 11 on directly mirrored his production spike, which kinda proves volume still reigns supreme even for athletic freaks. Had a similar experince in my league last year where I benched him right before the Greenard injury and paid for it the rest ofthe season.