Welcome everyone to the fifth installment to the 2008 Rookie Report. Each week during the regular season, the report will cover trends, news items and analysis of notable performances by the NFL’s 2008 Rookie Class to assist in your pursuit of dynasty championship gold.

This week’s edition will focus on breaking down the Top 5 IDP (Individual Defensive Players) by position of the 2008 rookie class. Overall, the 2008 rookie class of IDP’s has some elite talent followed by a bunch of uncertainty as will be shown below. Before we go any further, the following is a breakdown of the 2008 IDP rookie class:

Defensive Linemen

DE Chris Long, St. Louis Rams

Long has a great motor. He has great technical and physical skills, and is NFL ready especially with a Hall of Fame pedigree. Long also plays on one of the worst defenses in the league, so he should be on the field to rack up plenty of tackles early on in his career. He has a tendency to play too upright at times against the run. He also needs to work on developing a more explosive first move off the edge. The outlook for Chris Long is that he looks ready to contribute as a rookie; however, it may take some time for him to develop into an IDP force. Long-term, Long’s prospects look golden.

DE Derrick Harvey, Jacksonville Jaguars

Harvey ’s combination of size, speed and athleticism make him an ideal pass rusher off the edge. He is a bit raw in terms of technical skills and could add some bulk to improve against the run. Currently, Harvey remains in a holdout, and thus his short-term potential is limited due to the lack of practice time. Long-term, Harvey has the physical skills and is in a good situation alongside two solid defensive tackles.

DT Glenn Dorsey, Kansas City Chiefs

Glenn Dorsey’s quickness and power as a three-technique defensive tackle should translate well to the NFL level. He has a keen ability to shed blockers in traffic and make plays. The injury history of Dorsey is somewhat worrisome as he has been nagged with lingering problems in camp; however, all indications point to him being the Week 1 starter at DT. In leagues that start DT’s, Dorsey has Top 5 potential at the DT position.

DE Quentin Groves, Jacksonville Jaguars

Groves is a pass-rushing specialist that will need to develop size and strength to shed blockers in run defense. He has great speed off the edge and uses his athleticism well in making adjustments while pursuing opposing QB’s. Groves will begin his career as a pass-rushing specialist that may or may not develop into an every-down defensive end.

DT Sedrick Ellis, New Orleans Saints

I would have liked Sedrick Ellis’ potential a lot more as a defensive tackle that specialized more in pass rushing as that highlights his skills. However, due to the injury with Hollis Thomas, Ellis is expected to occupy blockers at the nose tackle slot, instead of being utilized more as a pass rusher. This will significantly hurt his short-term IDP fantasy potential; however, it is impossible to ignore Ellis’ blend of physical skills, explosiveness off the ball and technical skills as a pass rusher in the long-term.

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