With the NFL season almost set to kick off, let’s take a look at the rookies most primed to make an impact…
…without the football.
Which Rookie Will Shine On D?
What Happened: While not as sexy as its offensive counterpart, the NFL does indeed award a Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Defensive play can be tough for us couch potatoes to evaluate (unless its bad, then we know and call it out immediately.) But when trying to identify contenders for this year’s version of the DROY, history tells us we can narrow the field pretty swiftly.
Why It Matters: Of the previous 20 recipients of DROY, just two were drafted outside of the first round. (One of those exceptions was DeMeco Ryans of the Texans, the team he now coaches. Yes, you are old.) In an offense-centric first round of the 2024 draft, only nine defensive players were selected, so we’ve already narrowed things down quickly.
With the pass game taking over the NFL in recent seasons, it’s no shock that of the last five winners, four were men tasked with taking down quarterbacks. (Sauce Gardner in 2022 being the outlier.) So if we politely dismiss the three cornerbacks taken in Round 1 this draft, we have six contenders left. And Cardinals defensive lineman Darius Robinson is dealing with a multi-week calf injury, which will dent his chances.
Chop Robinson of the Dolphins has the longest odds of the five remaining options at +1600 (FanDuel), while Indianapolis’ Laiatu Latu leads the way at +400. Dallas Turner of the Vikings isn’t far behind at +450, with Jared Verse looking to make noise with the Rams at +900.
The final option is an intriguing one: DT Byron Murphy II, taken by Seattle and lucky to find himself playing for defensive whiz Mike Macdonald, who last season transformed Nnamdi (Justin) Madubuike into a wrecking ball of a defensive tackle and helped him land a $98 million contract extension.
Murphy II’s odds to win DROY are +1000, trailing only Latu, Turner, and Verse. Macdonald’s defense creates pressure by moving his talent around the field, refusing to box players into a rigidly defined role. If Murphy II can emulate Madubuike’s versatility as a rookie, the Defensive Rookie of the Year award could be headed to Seattle.
What We’re Watching Today
US Open – The number ones take the stage in the night session, as no. 6 Jessica Pegula hopes to knock off top-ranked Iga Swiatek in the women’s bracket.
On the men’s side, it’s the match of the tournament, with no. 5 Daniil Medvedev and no. 1 Jannik Sinner squaring off in the quarterfinals.
Guardians at Royals (7:40 PM ET) – A three-game winning streak has afforded Cleveland some breathing room in the AL Central race, who now lead the division by 4.5 games over the Twins and 5.5 over the Royals. Kansas City is destroying its hopes of postseason baseball with its seven-games-and-counting losing streak. Ace Seth Lugo takes the ball tonight, and stopping the team’s slide is necessary if the Royals are to remain in the hunt.
The Look Ahead
Seth Lugo STRIKEOUTS – In two of his last three starts, Lugo has produced at least eight strikeouts. Today’s game is pretty close to a must-win for the Royals, and we like their ace to deliver. His line for today is 4.5 strikeouts, against a Cleveland team averaging a tad over seven in its last five games.
