By: Jake Rajala

The New York Jets were worse than the Sharknado movie in 2021. With that said, there is one player that has drastically brought more energy and hope to the Jets this off-season: CB Ahmad Gardner. The Jets 2022 first-round pick has completely erased opposing wideouts in pre-season & obtained pick-sixes in training camp. With that said, I’m going to untwine three reasons Gardner could win DROY.

*The last DROY winner for the Jets was Sheldon Richardson in 2013.

• Early dominance

It’s blatantly brutal to bet against Gardner when he’s shined this summer. He had a pick-six in June & he recently picked off the polarizing Atlanta Falcons rookie QB Desmond Riddler. Sauce talked the talk in the draft process and he’s walked the walk in the 2022 pre-season. Gardner’s early positive impressions have earned him the starting gig over Bryce Hall heading into the 2022 campaign.

• Cornerback spot

It doesn’t take Captain Obvious to say that some positions in the NFL have a better chance of winning individual honors. Of course, Gardner plays at the CB spot – which has featured two DROY winners (Marcus Peters and Marshon Lattimore) in the past several seasons. The edge rusher is the only spot-on defense that has garnered more DROY winners in the same time span.

• Division foes

I don’t love the fact that the Jets have the least overall talent in their division. Nonetheless, I really like that Gardner faces off against three potent signal-callers in the AFC East: Josh Allen, Mac Jones, and Tua Tagovailoa. He will certainly have the spotlight in his division & I expect him to shine against the well-rounded group of QBs — which will hand him a ton of respect.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Jacksonville Jaguars sincerely have one of the most underrated edge-rushing combinations in the league with Josh Allen and Travon Walker. The 2022 first-overall pick, Walker (who is 21 years old), showed his pro-ready ability in his pre-season debut with an impressive sack. In the Jags contest yesterday, he forced D’Ernest Johnson to cough up the football (despite not being credited with the FF). Of course, Walker has unearthly power via his 4.51 40-yard dash time and 6’5, 270 lb frame. He will certainly be able to make magic happen without the best knowledge of pass-rushing moves in his rookie campaign. It’s obvious that Walker is looking like a strong, DROY candidate thus far.

The Detroit Lions freak rookie, Aidan Hutchinson, had a TFL and he forced a holding penalty in his show-down yesterday. It will be exciting to see Walker compete with Hutch and certainly others throughout the 2022 campaign for DROY gold.

Walker will anticipate his underrated pal, Josh Allen (who sacked Josh Allen and made history as the only player to sack an opposing quarterback with the same name last season), to return to being a Pro Bowl-caliber player in 2022. Allen has notched 20.5 sacks, 48 QB hits, 25 TFLs, 3 FFs, and one interception in his three-year career. The Jags pass-rusher garnered a modest 78.5 grade by PFF last season. His fifth year was picked by the Jags, so they can still be a bit patient with his contract.

I really expect the Jags pass rush to make a big jump from last season, largely due to Walker and Allen. The Jags ranked 27th in sacks a season ago I surely expect them to sit in the Top-15 in sacks in the upcoming season. The Jags may have a sexy, new passing attack with T-Lawrence, Marvin Jones Jr, Christian Kirk, and Evan Engram, but don’t sleep on the Jags pass rush that will make life difficult for opposing signal-callers in 2022.

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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.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Philadelphia Eagles traded up to select the behemoth Jordan Davis 13th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. Davis may be seen with a gifted combination of size (6’6, 340) and speed (4.78 40-time), yet it seems like he hasn’t gained enough praise to be a top-shelf DROY candidate. With that said, I’m going to untwine three reasons why the Eagles rook could win DROY next season.

Opportunities

The Lions pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson will unequivocally attract a lot of attention on a putrid Lions DL as a rookie. Meanwhile, Davis should have a lot of favorable match-ups – as he will be playing next to the superb Fletcher Cox. The NFL world witnessed Von Miller really capitalize off the opportunities he had on the Aaron Donald-led DL. I can’t wait to see teams struggle to block Davis while having a robust plan for the Eagles legend in Cox.

Big showdowns

I expect the Eagles to have a lot of success while duking it out in nail-biting contests. Davis will surely have lots of eyes on his team against the Dallas Cowboys (twice a season), Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, and Arizona Cardinals in 2022. Darius Leonard has arguably been snubbed as a DROY candidate partially because the Colts haven’t been a very impressive team. Davis can absolutely be effective and noticeable on a team that should be playoff-bound.

DT position

The DT position may not be as sexy as the edge rusher spot on defense, but it certainly has unveiled a lot of DROY winners. Ndamukong Suh, Sheldon Richardson, and Aaron Donald all won DROY. If a DT can stand out by having a plethora of sacks, they will certainly demand a ton of respect. It would be an understatement to say Davis has the explosive ability coupled with a friendly situation to be a menace against the likes of Dak Prescott and Aaron Rodgers next season.

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By: Jake Rajala

The New York Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale is creating an old-school, high-tempo defense in the Big Apple. Martindale will want his young defense featuring fifth overall pick Kavyon Thibodeaux to live and die by the sword moving forward. Per the New York Post, the Ravens defensive unit under Martindale had the highest pressure rate in 2018, 2019, and 2020. It’s safe to say that Martindale, aka the wiser version of former blitzaholic and NFL DC Gregg Williams, will keep brainstorming next-level, bad-ass schematics to harass Dak Prescott until the game clock hits :00.

As previously stated, the Giants focal piece on their defense will be the rookie Kavyon Thibodeaux. Per Big Blue View, the Giants outside linebackers coach Dean Wilkins feels strongly about the rook and stated, “He was just a great fit for us and Wink’s defense. If Wink were to create an outside linebacker in a lab this would be Kavyon Thibodeaux. He’s got all the skillsets that we look for. He can be a dominant edge setter, explosive, violent, relentless pass rusher, and then everything else you see required in the package. Really all those things combined it’s just a good fit for us.”

Kavyon is praised as a DROY candidate and he would be the first Giant to win DROY since Lawrence Taylor.

The Giants pass rush and front seven should reap benefits from numerous, new faces. Yet, it’s important to not forget about the NYG secondary. Per Giants Wire, The Giants shiny and bold DC expressed that Jerome Henderson is the best DB coach in the NFL. Henderson will be tasked with improving a Giants pass defense that will have a few third-year or younger starters.

It’s hard to foresee if the Giants can have an elite defense as early as 2022. It’s also unclear if Henderson is the number one DB coach in the league. Although, it’s a fact that the Giants energy and confidence is very high between the players and coaches at this point in time.

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By: Jake Rajala

The New York Giants have a new energy with Brian Daboll and a healthy Saquon Barkley in 2022. The Giants witnessed their ex-CB James Bradberry sign with Philly, but they nicely inked a new CB yesterday: Maurice Canaday. The Giants new CB started six games for the Dallas Cowboys last and he could be a contributor on the outside for NY.

Outside of NFC East CBs playing musical chairs, the Giants will really anticipate a star developing from their edge rusher spot in Kavyon Thibodeaux. The Giants rookie is projected to have an excellent rookie season by Pro Football Focus. In fact, there is only one rookie defender primed to be more productive than the former Oregon Duck: Aidan Hutchinson. Assuming Thibodeaux has a head full of steam after countless scouts criticized his lack of effort, he could even have a higher ceiling than Hutch in his first season.

The Giants will anticipate Kavyon becoming the next “Justin Tuck”, but the team still revolves around the explosion of Saquon Barkley. He can be their most productive player and it would be very difficult for NYG to be a potent team without an excellent Barkley.

It appears that Barkley is off to a good start at this moment. He looks fresh and healthy in OTAs, according to Giants Wire. I honestly don’t expect Barkley to follow Todd Gurley’s path by falling off a cliff, as the 25-year-old hasn’t suffered too many unfortunate injuries. Although, he will need his friend Evan Neal to help him in 2022. He was once considered a strong candidate to land first overall, but the Giants were fortunate to land him at seventh overall.

Shaun O’Hara stated the following on Giants.com about the Giants rookie tackle, “versatile, also very powerful”. He also expressed that Neal’s ability to change direction is impressive for his size.

It may seem like the new horses on Philadelphia and Washington overshadow the new talent on the Giants this off-season. Yet, the Giants could still be a secret challenger in the NFC with a healthy Barkley, a DROY-caliber player in Thibodeaux, and an improved Daniel Jones. The Eagles were a surprise team in 2021 and it may be time for the Giants beat the NFL world’s expectations in 2022.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Detroit Lions had an exciting NFL Draft and it’s time for the promising Dan Campbell to elevate his squad from their 2021 outcome. The Lions will ride with Jared Goff, but they believe that they can be a competitive NFC team with the former NFC Champion at QB. With that said, I’m going to untwine recent reports of the Lions 2022 direction with Campbell and Goff.

• Fly Eagles Fly

The Lions will battle the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1 at Ford Field. The Eagles snuck into the playoffs last season and it’s clear that Jalen Hurts will aspire to be a Pro Bowl-caliber QB next season. The Eagles brought Haason Reddick back home and retained Fletcher Cox. The Eagles also ranked first in rushing YPG last season, while the Lions ranked 28th in rushing defense last season. I believe that the Lions should lean on their new rookie WR Jameson Williams and new FA WR D.J. Chark, Amon, Hockenson, and ask Hurts to battle through the passing game.

• Lions will play the Bills on Thanksgiving

“So, you’re telling me there’s a chance”

The Lions will host the mighty Buffalo Bills on Thanksgiving. It may seem like the Bills will mop the floor against the Lions in the Holiday show-down, but the Lions did edge out the Arizona Cardinals last season. The Lions will truly need to cook up a gameplan to harass Josh Allen.

• Aidan Hutchinson = DROY?

There was a lot of belief that the Lions selected the “best overall player” in Aidan Hutchinson during the 2022 NFL draft. Sports Illustrated has nicely pointed out that Hutch is an early favorite for DROY. I fully expect a lot of eyes to be on the former Wolverine and he could be a key factor in the Lions divisional showdowns against Aaron Rodgers.

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By: Jake Rajala

The bright football mind Kyle Brandt expressed on Good Morning Football that the Lions selected the draft’s top player in Aidan Hutchinson with the second overall pick. Of course, the Jacksonville Jaguars felt like Travon Walker was more special than Hutchinson. Nonetheless, the former Michigan Wolverine is arguably more pro-ready than the former Georgia pass rusher and other highly touted rookie defenders. I really feel like Hutchinson, also known as Nick Bosa 2.0, can be a warrior and Pro Bowl-caliber DE in year one as a Detroit Lion. With that said, here are three reasons why the Lions DE can win DROY in 2022.

• DROY = Pass Rusher Award

Hutchinson isn’t only a competitive maniac, but he plays a position where talented rookies usually have a quality floor in year one: edge rusher. In fact, the DE position has showcased the most (three) DROY winners since 2016 (Chase Young, Nick Bosa, and Joey Bosa). It can be a struggle for cornerbacks to be filled with dynamite as a rookie, as only one CB has won DROY since 2016. History has clearly favored the brave DE position for rookie profiles.

• The most pro-ready DE

As previously stated, I really believe Hutchinson is more prepared to use his skill and motor to be successful on Day 1 than the likes of Walker and Kavyon Thibodeaux. Walker has a rare combination of size and speed (4.51 40-yard dash), but It will certainly take time for him to develop his ability at the professional level. Walker could have a slightly similar path as the New Orleans Saints DE Marcus Davenport, who is coming off a career season in year four of his career.

• Chicago Bears pass protection

The Chicago Bears might be one squad, but the Lions divisional foe gave up the most sacks last season. Hutchinson should be licking his chops in each contest against the rebuilding Bears offense. Chase Young had 2.5 sacks against the Eagles in his DROY campaign and it was unveiled to be a big piece of his 7.5 sack puzzle. If Hutch can have a few sacks against the Bears next season, it could honestly be a monster advantage in his chances to win DROY.

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By: Jordan Anders

Rookie Patrick Surtain II has been putting the NFL on notice the last two weeks in his first two preseason games with the Denver Broncos. We all knew Surtain was going to be good, but how good and NFL-ready he already was came faster than anyone expected. From training camp to his first NFL debut Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings, Patrick Surtain had been turning heads from the very beginning.

During the Denver Broncos training camp, Surtain not only made an impression on his fellow teammates but head coach Vic Fangio as well. Fangio stated that Patrick was fitting right into the Broncos secondary, which is one of the best in the league. Patrick Surtain got his first pick on day five of practice which would then lead to a real interception during the Vikings game later that week.

The Broncos headed to their first preseason game against the Vikings where Surtain would play 11 coverage snaps. During those coverage snaps, Surtain allowed 0 catches and had a 30-yard pick followed by a touchdown. After the game, Surtain received a 94.5 PFF Grade, the highest of all cornerbacks in Week one. After week two, Patrick Surtain was the second-highest graded defensive rookie so far with a 91.3 Grade overall. Patrick Surtain is the top-graded rookie cornerback vs single coverage.

In the two weeks of preseason, Patrick Surtain was the “highest-graded defensive rookie in the NFL”. There’s already talk about Surtain being a favorite for the Defensive Rookie of the Year and the sports bets can back that up. With the odds changing nearly every day, Patrick Surtain has been a top-five favorite the last two weeks. Over the last week, Patrick Surtain has become one of the most-bet on players for the award this year.

Patrick Surtain will be competing against Cowboys’ rookie Micah Parsons, who is the number one favorite for the award. He will also be competing against other rookies including Kwity Paye, Jaelan Phillips, Jamin Davis, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, and Jaycee Horn. Based on his performances and ratings in the past two weeks, Surtain is already ahead of the pack. It may be late August, but there is no question he will be a stud for the Broncos secondary this season and be a serious candidate for the DROY award.

If Patrick Surtain wins the award, he will join Von Miller and Mike Croel as the only Broncos players to win the award in the 54 years the award has been around. He will also be the first Broncos cornerback to win the award and the third cornerback ever to win the award. Yet, the NFL passing game evolves and CBs truly have had more opportunities to stand out among other defensive positions in recent memory. Two CBs have won the award since 2015: Marcus Peters and Marshon Lattimore. Surtain will have countless chances to prove he’s a talented CB as he faces passing offenses like Kansas City, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles twice each in the season.

It’s clear that Surtain is gifted and up to prove he’s ready to take 2021 by storm. Even the great Broncos CB Champ Bailey has acknowledged an early positive impression of Surtain. When asked about Patrick Surtain, Bailey stated “People are like ”˜Oh, he reminds me of Champ!’ I’m like ”˜hell, he reminds me of me, too!’”

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Daniel Racz @Danny___Dimes

Introduction

Unlike offensive rookie of the year, which is given to a quarterback an overwhelming majority of the time, the defensive rookie of the year award can be won by multiple positions consistently. The positions that win the award most often are edge rusher and linebacker because they offer immediate production and can stuff the stat sheet.

Last year, the three finalists for the award were edge rusher Chase Young, linebacker Patrick Queen, and linebacker/safety hybrid Jeremy Chinn. Even though Patrick Queen graded out as a poor coverage player by PFF, he still posted lots of tackles. As long as a player can post a decent stat line and have top 64 draft capital, they can be in contention for the award. Another important factor in evaluating these rookies is considering if they will get day one work. 

Jaelan Phillips (+700)

Within the NFL draft community, Jalelan Phillips was considered the best edge rusher in the class of 2021. His freakish athleticism and pedigree made him a coveted player in the draft. The Miami Dolphins made Phillips the first edge rusher off the board, an immediate bonus for his rookie of the year chances. Phillips will be one of Miami’s starting edge rushers for week one, so if he posts double-digit sacks the award will likely go to him. Miami’s interior defensive line already has Christian Wilkins and Raekwon Davis, so Phillips will have help generating pressure. Miami’s elite secondary will cover wide receivers for extended periods of time, giving coverage sack opportunities to edge rushers like Phillips. 

Jaelan succeeded in college by aligning across the defensive line. Miami’s defense is incredibly multiple, so players like Phillips will likely get work at multiple positions in various formations. Phillips has the top 20 draft capital to make him a favorite for the award and the skill to bring home the title. Though he is priced as the second most likely player to take home the award–behind Micah Parsons at +400–he should be the favorite. 

Zaven Collins (+1100)

Two picks prior to Jaelan Phillips’ selection, the Arizona Cardinals made Zaven Collins their newest addition with the 16th pick. Collins is an athletic freak of nature from the University of Tulsa. He is physically imposing, weighing in at anywhere from 255 to 270 pounds. The edge rusher/linebacker hybrid player has been given comparisons to fellow swiss army knife player Anthony Barr. 

Zaven’s playstyle and strengths lend themselves to putting up impressive numbers early in his career. The Arizona Cardinals announced that they want Zaven to primarily play MIKE linebacker, so Zaven will line up in the middle of the field 3-5 yards off the line-of-scrimmage often. This location will let Zaven be involved across the entire gridiron, leading to lots of tackles. Jordan Hicks, Arizona’s current top linebacker, has already requested a trade because Zaven will be a day one starter, so his price will likely become more expensive once Hicks is officially traded. 

At Tulsa, Zaven was a tremendous run defender, pass rusher, and coverage player. If he has a strong grasp of just two of these three skills in his rookie year, he will post near-historic rookie of the year numbers. Triple-digit total tackles, a handful of sacks, and a few turnovers are a reasonable projection for Collins, showing why he should be firmly in contention for defensive rookie of the year.

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