Who is the most underrated DROY candidate?

By: Jake Rajala

The NFL is full of surprises – which makes it entertaining year in and year out. With that said, I believe the 2022 DROY could be a surprise winner – as there are many talented rookies on defense. Hence, I’m going to simply untwine three darkhorse DROY candidates in 2022.

Quay Walker

I love the outlook for the Packers rookie LB Quay Walker, to say the least. Walker has been quite hard on himself already. Per 24 7 Sports, Walker stated, “That’s the main thing is trying to get my confidence back. Just believing there’s a reason I’m here as well”. Walker will showcase his talents for a Super Bowl contender and he also plays a position (LB) that has show-cased two DROY winners in the past four seasons.

Kaiir Elam

The Bills CB Tre’Davious White may be the best CB on the Bills, but the rookie Kaiir Elam will certainly have a key role in 2022. Leslie Frazier, who was named PFF’s best defensive play-caller by PFF, will help him routinely succeed against opposing WR2s. I also expect Elam to have a ton of opportunities – as opposing offenses “try” to keep pace with Josh Allen.

Andrew Booth Jr.

It’s safe to say that the Vikings had a steal in Andrew Booth Jr. (42nd overall). Booth is expected to shine early, according to CBS’s analyst Chris Trapasso. The first-round talent that was a Day 2 pick will have a pivotal role on a Vikings pass defense that desperately needed help this off-season. Booth should feel inspired to know that Marcus Peters (a popular Top-10 projection) slid to the Chiefs 18th overall and then went on to win DROY.