With the NFL season starting next Thursday night between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears, the 100th NFL season will officially be underway. Who will be the Defensive Rookie of the Year?
There were a lot of good NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year candidates last season, but fourth-round pick (OLB) Darius Leonard won the award. He had an outstanding season for the Indianapolis Colts with 163 tackles. Leonard was one of the reasons why Indianapolis’s defense was so much better last season.
Which rookie could very well win the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award this season?
The first player that comes to mind is defensive end Nick Bosa. He was the second overall pick for the San Francisco 49ers. Nick Bosa is the younger brother of Joey Bosa, who plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers. If Nick is anything like his brother, San Francisco will be very happy.
The second player that comes to mind is inside linebacker Devin White. He was the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Todd Bowles is the defensive coordinator Tampa Bay and White will be used often.
The third player that comes to mind is outside linebacker Josh Allen. He is a terrific edge rusher and many people thought Allen should have been taken by the New York Giants sixth overall instead of seventh overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Josh Allen could get Jacksonville back to being a Top 10 defense.
The fourth player that comes to mind is inside linebacker Devin Bush. He was the 10th overall pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Bush will be a leader on defense for Pittsburgh and he could change that defense entirely. They haven’t been the same at linebacker ever since Ryan Shazier suffered that catastrophic injury. The Steelers traded up with the Denver Broncos to draft him.
The fifth player that comes to mind is cornerback DeAndre Baker. He was drafted 30th overall by the New York Giants. They traded back into the first-round to draft him. Baker has all of the tools to be a shutdown corner in this league. He hasn’t given up a touchdown in a long time.
The sixth player that comes to mind is defensive tackle Ed Oliver. He was the ninth overall pick by the Buffalo Bills. Oliver is a monster up the middle by stopping the run and he could also rush the passer. Ed Oliver was talked about being the number one overall pick at one point in time.
Other potential rookie of the year candidates: (DT) Dexter Lawrence: New York Giants, (CB) Greedy Williams: Cleveland Browns, (OLB) Brian Burns: Carolina Panthers, (CB) Trayvon Mullen: Oakland Raiders, (CB) Rock Ya-Sin: Indianapolis Colts, (DE) Clelin Ferrell, Oakland Raiders, and (DE) Jaylon Ferguson: Baltimore Ravens.
If I were betting on who would win the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, I think Devin Bush or Ed Oliver will win the award.
