The NFL season is coming to a close, and with it comes awards for individual achievements. The NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year is one of the most coveted titles for incoming players and is typically a sign of great careers to come. According to Vegas oddsmakers, the current favorites to win the award are Nick Bosa, Devin Bush, Josh Allen, Brian Burns, and Darnell Savage. Let’s take a look at each player to see who truly deserves the honor.
2019 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Candidates
Nick Bosa
San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Nick Bosa is easily the favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. The second-overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft is having a fantastic season with nine sacks, 22 quarterback hits, 16 tackles-for-loss, one forced fumble, and one interception through the first 15 games of the season. Bosa’s advanced stats tell a similar story of dominance, as Pro Football Focus currently has him as the 11th-best edge defender in football, ahead of notable players like Khalil Mack and Myles Garrett.
Bosa possesses the ability to play both the pass and the run at a high level and is one of the most important players on arguably the best defense in football. He has the talent to be one of the best players in the league and has been everything the San Francisco 49ers could have ever hoped for as a rookie.
Devin Bush
The Pittsburgh Steelers made one of the more surprising moves of the 2019 NFL Draft when they traded up 10 spots to select Devin Bush. Pittsburgh normally doesn’t make decisions like this during the draft, but the organization clearly felt Bush was worth the extra draft capital required to move up. So far, the Bush move appears to be a solid investment. Through 15 games, Devin Bush has recorded 97 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss, two quarterback hits, one sack, two interceptions, and four passes defended. Pittsburgh’s defense is one of the best in the league, and some see Bush as the catalyst for the improved unit.
Bush has a bright future, but he probably won’t bring home Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. According to Pro Football Focus, Bush is the 45th-best linebacker in the league and doesn’t excel at any facet of the game. He should obviously improve with time and has the ability to become one of the best linebackers in the game. However, it’s hard to justify him winning the award over a guy like Nick Bosa.
Josh Allen
Nobody expected Josh Allen to fall all the way to the 7th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Widely considered one of the best edge defenders in the country, Allen surprisingly fell all the way to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Kentucky product is currently showing why he deserved to be a top-five pick, as he has 10 sacks, 21 quarterback hits, 11 tackles-for-loss, and two forced fumbles through 15 games. Pro Football Focus isn’t quite as high on him as the raw numbers suggest, as the advanced analytics site grades him as the 53rd-best edge rusher in the league.
Allen isn’t quite as good as the sack numbers suggest, but it’s hard to imagine that there are 52 edge defenders better than him. That said, he’s still not on Bosa’s level and probably won’t come close to earning the title. That said, he stands a good chance at surpassing Devin Bush as the runner up.
Brian Burns
Carolina Panthers rookie Brian Burns has shown a lot of promise as a pass-rushing edge defender. Through the first 15 games of the season, the Florida State product has recorded 6.5 sacks, 14 quarterback hits, one forced fumble, and 21 tackles. He’s good as a situational pass rusher, but still needs to develop into a true three-down defensive player. The future is bright for Burns, but he’s nowhere near Bosa or even Josh Allen among rookie edge defenders.
Darnell Savage
The only pure coverage player on this list, Darnell Savage is having an impressive year for a much-improved Green Bay Packers secondary. Through 13 games of action, Savage has recorded two interceptions, five passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and 52 tackles. He was a Day One starter in Green Bay’s secondary and has played in at least 96% of snaps in all but one game. Just like everyone else on this list, Savage has a bright future ahead of him. However, he’s not a particularly flashy player and one could make the case he’s not the best defensive player in his own secondary (Jaire Alexander). He should probably finish ahead of Brian Burns but, barring a miracle, won’t seriously challenge for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
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