In this series, I am going to do a quick IDP daft review for each team. We’ll take a look at their IDP draft haul, what it means for their team, and the impact it will have for fantasy managers. We kick off the series with the Atlanta Falcons who are led by second-year head coach Arthur Smith, who was previously the offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans. The Falcons finished the 2022 season with a 7-10 record and have a lot of overall team needs, so it’s crucial that they hit on as many of these draft picks as possible. Let’s get started and take a deep dive into their IDP draft haul.
3rd Round 75th overall - Zach Harrison, EDGE, Ohio State
The Falcons waited until the third round to select their first defensive player, Zach Harrison from Ohio State, with the 75th overall selection. He played in 46 games making just 28 starts while recording 106 total tackles, 63 solo stops, a 59.4% solo rate, 25½ TFLs, 13 sacks, five forced fumbles, one INT, and 11 PBUs. A big-bodied DE that fits best in a 4-3 scheme where he shuts down the run, so I see him being out of place in Atlanta’s 3-4 base scheme. With David Onyemata at the nose, Calais Campbell at LDE, and Grady Jarrett at RDE, Harrison is a backup at best. He has a top-end radius with his arm length that lets him excel versus the run. Not a great pass-rushing prospect so that limits his value for me. Fantasy-wise, Harrison isn’t a player that I am looking to add to my fantasy rosters.
4th Round 113th overall - Clark Phillips III, CB, Utah
This is one of my favorite picks of this entire draft class! Great value for Phillips, who I had graded at my #3 overall corner in this class. Right away the hate is with his size, but go watch his game film and you can see that’s not an issue. The Atlanta Falcons selected Clark Phillips with the 113th overall selection and he played for the Utah Utes he played 31 games and registered 112 total tackles, 84 solo stops, a 75% solo rate, five TFLs, one sack, nine INTs, and 30 PBUs. An absolute ballhawk who attacks the ball in the air and is aggressive versus the run. The Falcons have AJ Terrell and Jeff Okudah as their starters, but Phillips can absolutely be their third-best corner from the get-go. Rarely do I advocate drafting a corner but Phillips isn’t your average CB. If you have the room on your roster, take the flyer on him and enjoy the rewards!
7th Round 224th overall - DeMarcco Hellams, SAF, Alabama
When it comes to drafting a player, the value that you can draft them at is a premium, whether it’s NFL or fantasy! The Falcons got huge value here by drafting a starting SEC safety who produced at a high level. Atlanta selected DeMarcco Hellams in the 7th round and get an impact player your their secondary. At Alabama, Hellams played in 54 career games producing 261 total tackles, 160 solo stops, a 61.3% solo rate, 7½ TFLs, 2½ sacks, four INTs, and 17 PBUs. The Falcons acquired FS Jessie Bates in free agency and have Jaylinn Hawkins at FS. They also have Richie Grant who is more of a SS, so Hellams should slot in right away as the backup to Hawkins. That’s how you build a winning NFL team when your depth can be as strong as your starters. For fantasy managers, Hellams will play a valuable position (SAF) so make sure you try and add him to your rosters.
All stats provided by Pro Football Reference
Thanks for reading my article. I am a member of the FSWA (Fantasy Sports Writers of America). Follow me on Twitter at @HollywoodTitan, on Facebook on my IDPNation page, on Reddit in the fantasy football IDP sub — I’m user KingTitan1 — and tune in each week and listen to IDP Nation and Devy IDP Grind, the podcasts that I co-host, on several different platforms. Feel free to email or dm me with any questions you have, as I’m always glad to help fellow IDPers. #IDPNation #IDP #IDPDevy
