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 Green Bay Packers are aiming for another Super Bowl win with the ageless warrior in Aaron Rodgers. A-Rod and his band of misfits will surely face a different mountain in 2022 than any previous season. The Packers will not have Davante Adams and it will be more difficult for Rodgers to “own the Bears” with Justin Fields leading CHI out of the tunnel. Nonetheless, the Packers will aim to be the top seed in the NFC for the third straight season.

With that enunciated, I’m going to untwine the biggest challenges that will attempt to break the Packers spirit in 2022. Let’s begin.

• The loss of Tae

I really believe the loss of Tae will haunt the Packers passing attack next season. Adams has arguably been the NFL’s most indispensable WR in the NFL over the past couple of seasons. A vital question arises after the exit from Adams: how quickly can Christian Watson develop into a 1,000+ yard WR?

I would also still like to see the Packers ink Will Fuller or OBJ, so they have a few quality WRs and Rodgers would always have favorable match-ups with his wideouts. The Pack has an underrated talent in Sammy Watkins, but they are also relying on Watkins to stay healthy for most of 2022, which is a scary thought. I’d love to see the Pack ink a FA WR or trade for a superb WR, so their WR room is well-prepared to dazzle opponents like LAR, TB, and even NO.

• The return of David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins

The Packers may not have a Top 3 WR in Tae, but they will have an elite, healthy former Top 3 LT in David Bakhtiari. The Packers legendary LT missed 16 games last season and it’s clear the return of his presence will benefit the reigning NFC North champions. Furthermore, Elgton Jenkins (who missed 9 games last season) will be healthy and hungry moving forward. The 49ers stud pass rusher Nick Bosa had two sacks (including a strip-sack) against the Packers backup RT in the recent pivotal divisional round. The ultimate question is: can the Packers have their tackles return to their prior form?

• What will Quay Walker bring to the table?

The Packers cut ties with Za’Darius Smith this offseason, but they did add Quay Walker. The Packers new LB is off to a hot start, according to UGA Wire. The cheeseheads in the world will hope he can have a similar impact as the 2009 Clay Matthews in his first season. The 38-year-old Rodgers will hope that his young friends can help him win another Lombardi trophy in Titletown soon.

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