Jeremy Chinn

A 2020 second-round pick, Chinn played safety, nickel corner and even linebacker during his four seasons in Carolina, with his best statistical year being his debut campaign when he had 117 tackles and a pair of defensive TDs. His per-game tackle numbers were similar the next two years, but he fell off in 2023 with just 30 tackles on 286 snaps across 12 games. Chinn should get a chance to start again in Washington under new coach Dan Quinn, though it's possible the Commanders start to look in another direction if the 220-pound safety struggles in coverage.

After two strong seasons to begin his career, a hamstring injury cost Chinn six games last year, and it took him until the final month of the season for him to look like his old tackling-machine self. New defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero brings a strong reputation for his work with secondaries, but in addition to holdover Xavier Woods, the Panthers signed Vonn Bell from the Bengals, giving the team three starting-caliber safeties. That doesn't bode well for the snap count of any of the three, but if Chinn transitions into more of a hybrid linebacker role, he could maintain his level of production.

Double check on Chinn’s positional designation in your league – sometimes he’s listed at linebacker, where he’s slightly less valuable – but if he’s safety-eligible in your league he should be among the leading defensive back IDPs in 2022. The Panthers defense is likely to spend plenty of time on the field this year, and as its most athletic player Chinn might have a lot of cleaning up to do.

Double check Chinn's positional eligibility — he played a lot of linebacker last year and might not qualify at safety in some formats — but it seems like Carolina intends to use him at safety this year, and, if so, he'll likely be one of the top IDP options at the position. He was a star IDP last year playing linebacker with safety eligibility, posting mammoth tackle production and even scoring two touchdowns. That tackle rate likely will fall if he plays more at safety, but Chinn is an elite athlete (4.45 40 at 6-3, 221) and should post tackle numbers wherever he lines up.

Despite playing collegiately at lowly Southern Illinois, Chinn displayed enough promise to be selected in the second round of this year's draft. At 6-3, 221 pounds, he boasts superb size for a safety, and he also tested off the charts athletically, clocking a 4.45-second 40-yard dash and 41-inch vertical leap. Such physical tools make Chinn a versatile defensive weapon, as he's a willing tackler near the line of scrimmage but also plenty capable defending the pass, as evidenced by his 31 pass breakups and 13 interceptions in college. Of course, his ball skills will be tested against much better competition in the NFL, but Chinn's overall package makes him an enticing rookie commodity on a defense that likely expects him to start soon.