The 8 Rookie Defensive Backs To Target in 2025 IDP Fantasy Football Leagues

May 14, 2026

Chris Jones - IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

How you prioritize defensive backs depends on your league's scoring settings, but for now, I want to take a high-level look at a few rookies with a path to impactful IDP playing time in 2026.

More IDP Targets: Defensive Linemen | Linebackers

2026 IDP - Rookie Defensive Backs

Tier 1

Caleb Downs, DB, Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys view Caleb Downs as the "quarterback of the defense", noting that he's a player who can line up as a safety, nickel, and potentially even corner, which is exactly the kind of versatility new Defensive Coordinator Christian Parker's scheme is built to weaponize. Downs has already impressed coaches and teammates alike at the team's rookie minicamp, with Parker getting extensive one-on-one work with him, praising his playbook knowledge and ability to move all over the secondary.

For IDP, Downs is the cleanest defensive back prospect in this class. Dallas added Jalen Thompson (Arizona) and P.J. Locke (Denver) in the defensive backfield, but Downs is going to be an every-down player from Day 1. The scheme will put him in a position to produce both tackles and splash plays, particularly if he's playing in the slot, as discussed extensively in post-draft coverage from Parker and the team. Similar to what Parker did with Cooper DeJean last year in Philadelphia, we'll likely see Downs align all over the field, rarely coming off the field, and providing a ton of value for anyone who drafts him. He's a borderline late first-round pick in rookie drafts.

Dillon Thieneman, S, Chicago Bears

The need in Chicago was obvious from the moment Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard walked out the door, and the Bears got their answer at pick 25 when Thieneman was still sitting there. He was unanimously considered the second safety off the board in this class, and the consensus was that a starting job was his from day one. The production across three college stops tells the full story. He racked up 210 tackles, six interceptions, and 14 pass breakups in two seasons at Purdue, then transferred to Oregon and finished second on the team with 92 tackles, 3.5 for a loss, two interceptions, and seven pass deflections in a system that moved him all over the field. At the combine, he ran a 4.35 forty, posted a 41-inch vertical, and led all safeties with 18 reps on the bench, which is a physical profile that holds up against anyone at the position in this class. Ryan Poles put it plainly: "The sense of urgency he plays with, his ability to close on the football, both in the run and the pass, stood out really, really quick."

For IDP, the situation is about as clean as you'll find for a rookie safety. The Bears envision Thieneman and free agent addition Coby Bryant forming one of the fastest and most versatile safety tandems in the league, and neither player is going to be sitting out on passing downs. Thieneman studied nickel corner during the offseason and moved between field and boundary safety at Oregon, which gives Dennis Allen the kind of schematic flexibility that typically leads to a high snap rate regardless of game script. The tackle floor is real, and he's more likely than Bryant to handle box snaps if called upon. His coverage instincts translate to splash play upside. He should hit the ground running in 2026, with true top 10 DB upside.