2026 IDP Preseason Week 1: Draft Stock, Role Changes, & Position Battles

The focus here is on the developments that should actually affect draft decisions, rankings, or role projections. That means sorting through first-team usage, green-dot responsibilities, substitutions, injuries, and position battles to determine what has actually changed.

Players and Situations Moving Up

Jack Gibbens has taken the lead over Cody Simon in Arizona

I’m moving Jack Gibbens ahead of Cody Simon in the Cardinals’ LB2 competition. Simon entered camp with the advantage, but the latest usage was much more favorable for Gibbens. Mack Wilson opened the preseason game alongside Gibbens, while Simon didn’t enter until Wilson’s night was over.

Gibbens also offers the better coverage profile, which gives him the clearer path to remaining on the field when Arizona moves into nickel. That doesn’t necessarily make him an every-down linebacker, the second linebacker could still be closer to a 70-80% role, but Gibbens should now be drafted ahead of Simon.

Current projection: Wilson >> Gibbens > Simon.

Andrew Wingard looks like Arizona’s other starting safety

Andrew Wingard continues to separate from Dadrion Taylor-Demerson. Arizona’s substitution pattern was another strong signal in Wingard’s favor. His night ended after the early first-team work, while Taylor-Demerson remained on the field with later units.

That’s another piece of evidence that Wingard is currently ahead in the competition to replace Jalen Thompson. Taylor-Demerson should still have a role in Arizona’s multi-safety packages, but his path to the every-down opportunity we hoped for earlier in the offseason has narrowed considerably.

Wingard is now the preferred late-round target of the two.

Kendal Daniels suddenly has multiple paths to IDP relevance

Kendal Daniels was one of the more meaningful linebacker developments of Week 1. With Divine Deablo sidelined, Atlanta handed Daniels the communication duties, making him the most logical replacement if Deablo misses regular-season time.

Just as importantly, Christian Harris and Harold Perkins Jr. split work alongside him, leaving the LB2 job far from settled. That makes Daniels more than just a Deablo handcuff.

Deablo remains the safest linebacker here and should reclaim the green dot when healthy. Daniels may ultimately have to wait behind him, but he now has both immediate injury-away value and a legitimate opportunity to push for snaps next to Deablo.

Dorian Williams has the edge for Buffalo’s LB2 role

Dorian Williams should now be considered the favorite over Kaleb Elarms-Orr. I had recently moved Elarms-Orr ahead in the Every-Down Linebacker Tracker based on his camp momentum, but the first preseason game swung the pendulum back toward Williams. The veteran opened next to Terrel Bernard, received two of the three early drives with the starters, and was removed from the game well before Elarms-Orr.

Elarms-Orr may ultimately offer the greater long-term upside, but he may have to wait for his opportunity behind Williams. Unless the rookie can overtake him over the final two weeks of the preseason, Williams is the safer bet to start next to Bernard in Week 1. Bernard remains the only completely secure every-down option.

Claudin Cherelus is ahead of Trevin Wallace — even if the grades say otherwise

This is exactly why preseason role usage matters more than individual grades.

Claudin Cherelus opened next to Devin Lloyd and played essentially the entire first-team portion of Carolina’s defense. Trevin Wallace did not enter until Lloyd was removed.

Wallace actually played much better on an individual basis, earning an 80.8 PFF grade compared with 36.7 for Cherelus. That’s worth noting, but it doesn’t erase who Carolina chose to deploy alongside Lloyd.

For now, Cherelus should be considered the LB2 favorite. The catch is that his role may still be limited. He came off the field in at least one obvious passing situation, so I’m not projecting another every-down linebacker next to Lloyd yet.

Current projection: Lloyd >>> Cherelus > Wallace.

Payton Wilson’s every-down upside is getting harder to ignore

The biggest win for Payton Wilson wasn’t anything he did in the box score – Pittsburgh simply never took him off the field while the starters were playing. Wilson stayed alongside Patrick Queen for the entire 12-snap opening stint, giving us an early indication that his rotational role may finally be disappearing.

That’s exactly what IDP managers wanted to see after Wilson finished second on the team with 109 tackles last season despite not owning a secure every-down role.

Preseason usage isn’t enough to guarantee an every-down job in September, especially given Pittsburgh’s history of rotating linebackers. But this removes one of the biggest concerns surrounding Wilson’s projection and gives him legitimate weekly-starter upside.

Branson Combs is making Jacksonville’s LB2 battle interesting

Ventrell Miller entered camp as the logical favorite to replace Devin Lloyd, but Branson Combs has made this a legitimate competition. The Jaguars listed the two together atop the depth chart, and Week 1 did little to separate them from a playing-time standpoint. Both received opportunities alongside Jahlani Tavai as Jacksonville cycled through linebacker combinations.

Miller ultimately played more snaps, but Combs was the more impressive coverage defender. That could become the deciding factor for fantasy purposes because the player Jacksonville trusts on passing downs will have the cleaner path to a substantial snap share.

I would give Combs a very slight edge today, but this remains one of the closer LB2 battles in the league. Foyesade Oluokun remains the only Jaguars linebacker whose every-down role is secure.

Players and Situations Moving Down

Junior Colson is farther from the starting lineup than expected

Junior Colson’s biggest Week 1 problem wasn’t how he played — it was where he sat in the pecking order.

Even with Daiyan Henley and Denzel Perryman held out, the Chargers turned to Troy Dye and Del’Shawn Phillips before Colson. He didn’t enter until the following series with Marlowe Wax.

After two injury-marred seasons, Colson needed this summer to push toward the top of the depth chart. Instead, he currently looks several steps removed from a fantasy-relevant role.

He’s off my normal redraft radar unless that changes quickly.

James Pearce Jr.’s eight-game suspension crushes his redraft value

James Pearce Jr. will miss Atlanta’s first eight regular-season games due to suspension. He can participate during the preseason, but he won’t be eligible to seek reinstatement until November.

That is half of the fantasy regular season. Regardless of Pearce’s talent or what he does during August, it is extremely difficult to justify carrying him in typical redraft formats unless benches are unusually deep.

With Jalon Walker already lost for the season, Atlanta also suddenly has a significant opportunity available on the edge. Samson Ebukam currently looks like one of the better bets to absorb meaningful early-season work.

Christian Harris no longer looks secure as Atlanta’s LB2

Harris entered camp with a path to the starting job next to Divine Deablo, but Week 1 didn’t strengthen his case. With Deablo out, Atlanta rotated Harris and Harold Perkins Jr. alongside Kendal Daniels rather than treating Harris as the unquestioned second linebacker.

That opens the door for both Perkins and Daniels to continue pushing him over the remainder of the preseason. Harris may still ultimately start, but his path to a predictable LB2 role looks considerably shakier than it did earlier in camp.

Role Confirmations and Situations to Monitor

Arvell Reese’s role looks exactly how IDP managers hoped

The biggest question with Arvell Reese was whether the Giants would use his pass-rush ability enough to compromise his tackle floor. His preseason debut was reassuring.

During his brief stint with the starting defense, New York treated Reese like a traditional off-ball linebacker rather than moving him onto the edge. Tremaine Edmunds was held out, while Reese’s night ended after the opening portion of the game.

That’s exactly the deployment fantasy managers wanted to see. The expected tandem remains Edmunds and Reese, and Reese’s current usage keeps his considerable tackle upside intact.

Jihaad Campbell’s deployment was ideal for IDP

Jihaad Campbell’s versatility is a major asset for Philadelphia, but it also created one potential fantasy concern entering 2026. If the Eagles used him extensively as an edge rusher, those snaps could come at the expense of tackle opportunities that would be more plentiful in a traditional off-ball role.

That wasn’t how Philadelphia used him in the preseason opener. Campbell stayed almost exclusively at off-ball linebacker and did not spend meaningful time rushing from the edge.

If that deployment carries into the regular season, Campbell’s combination of athleticism, coverage ability and an every-down role gives him considerably more IDP upside. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. played well behind him, but nothing from Week 1 suggests Trotter is threatening Campbell’s starting role.

Cam Bynum remains my slight favorite for the Colts’ green dot

I still lean Cam Bynum as the Week 1 favorite to relay Indianapolis’ defensive calls, but this remains one of the situations I’m monitoring most closely.

The Colts have cross-trained Bynum with the green dot, but Allen has also already worn it while working with the first-team defense after returning from injury. Allen handled the same responsibilities at Georgia, so this remains a legitimate competition. Allen also missed valuable camp time, which gives Bynum another short-term advantage. I still give Bynum a slight edge for Week 1, but Allen still has a realistic chance to win the green dot, either before Week 1 or later in the season

The green-dot decision also matters for Allen’s fantasy projection. If Bynum handles communication, Allen will need to earn his every-down role strictly through performance and sub package usage rather than having the helmet effectively lock him onto the field.

Cedric Gray is safe; Cody Barton versus Anthony Hill Jr. is the Tennessee battle

Any concern that Tennessee’s added linebacker depth could eat into Cedric Gray’s role should be fading. Gray and Cody Barton functioned as the primary pairing with the starters, and when James Williams joined the defense, Tennessee added him as a third linebacker rather than taking Gray off the field.

That distinction is important after Gray exploded for 160 tackles last season. His 2025 workload looks safe despite the defensive scheme change.

The real pressure is on Barton. Second-round rookie Anthony Hill Jr. remains the player with the most realistic chance to eventually challenge him for the more valuable passing-down snaps, while Williams currently looks more like a situational third linebacker than a threat to Gray.

Current hierarchy: Gray >>> Barton > Hill >> Williams.

Dillon Thieneman’s playing time isn’t the question — his alignment is

Dillon Thieneman was already headed for an every-down starting role before Coby Bryant suffered his knee injury. Chicago used a first-round pick on Thieneman and spent the offseason preparing him to start alongside Bryant.

Bryant’s injury changes who plays next to Thieneman, not whether Thieneman plays. The uncertainty around Chicago’s other safety spot could still influence how the rookie is deployed.

The IDP question going forward is alignment. Thieneman can play deep, in the box, or from the slot. If instability at the other safety spot forces him to spend more time deep, it could lower his tackle ceiling even while he remains on the field for virtually every snap.

I wouldn’t downgrade the role yet. Instead, we need to monitor where Chicago is asking him to play over the next couple of weeks.

David Bailey and Will McDonald can play together

David Bailey isn’t simply competing with Will McDonald for one starting spot. The Jets opened with Bailey and McDonald as their two edge rushers, and both played throughout the first-team portion of the game.

That’s important for McDonald’s fantasy outlook. Bailey’s arrival doesn’t automatically push McDonald to the bench. The two can function as New York’s primary pass-rush bookends, particularly in obvious passing situations.

The concern for McDonald is instead the entire edge rotation. Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare can absorb early-down work, which could continue to suppress McDonald’s tackle floor and overall snap volume.

Bailey hurts McDonald’s path to huge snap volume more than he hurts McDonald’s path to sacks. That distinction matters in big-play scoring systems.

Miami still hasn’t settled Tyrel Dodson versus Jacob Rodriguez

Miami gave Tyrel Dodson a narrow workload advantage over Jacob Rodriguez, but not enough of one to settle the competition. Dodson handled three first-half series to Rodriguez’s two while the Dolphins also spread the communication responsibilities between them with Jordyn Brooks sitting.

I still lean Dodson to open the season next to Brooks, but Rodriguez is close enough that projecting the veteran as a locked every-down LB2 would be premature.

Dodson remains the favorite, but Rodriguez has a legitimate path to taking enough snaps to matter. This is one of the linebacker competitions I want another week of data on before making a major rankings move.

Christian Rozeboom may have the short-term edge in Tampa Bay

The Buccaneers’ LB2 competition remains unsettled, but Week 1 provided an interesting clue in Christian Rozeboom’s favor. Alex Anzalone, Rozeboom and SirVocea Dennis were all held out, while second-round rookie Josiah Trotter played and handled the green dot with the reserve defense.

Rozeboom’s absence is the more interesting signal. Tampa Bay treating him more like Anzalone and Dennis than Trotter suggests the veteran may currently have the short-term edge for the starting job.

That doesn’t make Trotter an afterthought. Tampa Bay invested a second-round pick in him, he has already received first-team opportunities in camp, and he offers the greater long-term upside. My current expectation is that Rozeboom has the slight edge to open the season in the lineup, with Trotter capable of forcing his way into the job as the year progresses.

Draft Stock Recap

The biggest mistake IDP managers can make during the preseason is reacting to production without understanding how that production happened. Playing eight snaps with the first-team defense can be considerably more valuable information than making eight tackles while playing into the fourth quarter.

After Week 1, these are the adjustments I’m most comfortable making:

• UP: Jack Gibbens — Opened next to Mack Wilson and now has the edge over Cody Simon for Arizona’s LB2 job, although the role may still fall short of every-down usage.
• UP: Andrew Wingard — Arizona ended his night much earlier than Dadrion Taylor-Demerson’s, strengthening the case that Wingard will start next to Budda Baker.
• UP: Kendal Daniels — Handled Atlanta’s communication duties with Divine Deablo out and now has both immediate handcuff value and a potential path to LB2 snaps.
• UP: Dorian Williams — The first preseason game swung Buffalo’s LB2 battle back in his direction after Kaleb Elarms-Orr had gained momentum during camp.
• UP: Claudin Cherelus — Opened alongside Devin Lloyd and remains ahead of Trevin Wallace despite Wallace producing the better individual performance. The main concern is whether Cherelus stays on the field in passing situations.
• UP: Payton Wilson — Pittsburgh kept him on the field for the entire opening stint with Patrick Queen, improving the odds that his rotational role disappears in 2026.
• UP: Jihaad Campbell — Philadelphia used him almost exclusively as an off-ball linebacker rather than moving him to the edge, which is much more favorable for his tackle ceiling.
• DOWN: Cody Simon — Entered camp ahead of Gibbens but has now fallen behind in Arizona’s LB2 competition and carries more passing-down concerns.
• DOWN: Dadrion Taylor-Demerson — Wingard appears to be winning the starting safety job, leaving Taylor-Demerson dependent on sub package usage for meaningful IDP value.
• DOWN: Christian Harris — Atlanta rotated Harold Perkins Jr. heavily alongside him while Kendal Daniels handled the communication role, making Harris’ projected LB2 job considerably less secure.
• DOWN: Junior Colson — Even with Daiyan Henley and Denzel Perryman unavailable, multiple linebackers were ahead of him in the rotation. He needs a major depth-chart jump to regain normal redraft value.
• DOWN: James Pearce Jr. — An eight-game suspension wipes out half of the fantasy regular season and makes him difficult to carry outside deeper leagues.
• CONFIRMED: Arvell Reese — The Giants used him as a traditional off-ball linebacker during his brief first-team appearance, which is the deployment IDP managers wanted to see.
• CONFIRMED: Cedric Gray — Tennessee’s added linebacker depth did not come at Gray’s expense. The competition to watch is Cody Barton versus Anthony Hill Jr. next to him.
• MONITOR: Cam Bynum vs. C.J. Allen — Bynum remains my slight favorite for Indianapolis’ green dot, but Allen is still firmly in the conversation and could eventually take over the communication role.
• MONITOR: Tyrel Dodson vs. Jacob Rodriguez — Dodson had a slight workload advantage, but Miami still gave Rodriguez enough meaningful work to keep the competition very much alive.
• MONITOR: Christian Rozeboom vs. Josiah Trotter — Rozeboom looks like the safer bet to open the season next to Alex Anzalone, while Trotter remains the higher-upside option who could eventually take over.
• MONITOR: Branson Combs vs. Ventrell Miller — Combs has the slight edge in my current projection, but Jacksonville has given us enough evidence of a true competition that another preseason game could easily flip it back.

The next two weeks should provide additional clarity as teams narrow their rotations. The focus remains the same: first-team snaps, nickel usage, communication duties and how teams handle their presumed starters compared with players still fighting for roles. Those signals will tell us far more about September than preseason tackle totals.