There have been a number of impressive campaigns on the road to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, but one stands out more than most and has this award locked up.
Who Is Going To Win NFL Defensive Rookie Of The Year?
Favorite: DT Jalen Carter (Philadelphia Eagles, 11-6)
Jalen Carter is the Defensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner after a fantastic debut season with last year’s Super Bowl runners-up, which was unfortunately stained after his side lost five of their last six outings.
Carter was the highest-graded defender for the Eagles this season, the highest-graded among all rookie defenders by a landslide and ranked as the fifth highest-graded DT.
The 22-year-old out of Georgia recorded 33 total tackles (20 solo), six sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one forced safety, a blocked field goal and one touchdown in 16 games played.
He’s only going to get even better and this looks like the start of a glistening career.
Strong Candidate: DE Will Anderson (Houston Texans, 10-7)
Houston Texans rookie DE Will Anderson enjoyed a fine season in the Lone Star State, where his team finished 10-7 to qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2019.
He recorded 45 tackles – ten for a loss, 7.5 sacks, 22 quarterback hits, 32 pressures and one pass breakup in 15 games played. Anderson ranked second in the NFL for sacks among rookies.
Among league edges, Anderson stacked up nicely with the field – ranking eighth in quarterback hits, 12th in run stops and 15th in PR win rate percentage (16.3%).
Underrated Candidate: CB Devon Witherspoon (Seattle Seahawks, 9-8)
Seattle Seahawks corner Devon Witherspoon was a huge reason why the team were able to book their spot in the postseason, winning three of their last four outings to clinch a Wild Card appearance after losing each of their previous five.
Witherspoon was graded higher than Carter in run defense, tackling, pass rush and coverage. He played 300 more snaps than the Eagles star and was the only defensive rookie to make the Pro Bowl.
He was PFF’s top graded Seahawks player and the league’s top graded rookie defender with minimum 600 snaps played, finishing with 16 passes defended, eight tackles for a loss and three sacks.
He became the only rookie and one of just seven players in NFL history to hit those marks since 1999.
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