theScore's NFL Awards Roundtable: Defensive Rookie of the Year
The NFL Awards will be handed out on Jan. 31, but theScore's NFL Editors are making a case for the players whom they feel deserve to take home the hardware this season.
theScore's NFL Awards
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Offensive Player of the Year
Defensive Player of the Year
Most Valuable Player
Coach of the Year
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Aaron Donald, DT, Rams
47 tackles, 9 sacks
The Rams used the 13th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft on Donald, who may turn out to be the best player in his class. Pro Football Focus rated him as the top defensive tackle on the season, beating out stars like Gerald McCoy and Ndamukong Suh, and he did it as a rookie. Donald is a disruptive force, who has just begun to unleash his talent on NFL offenses. - Justin Boone
Donald was one of the most consistent rookies this season, appearing in all 16 games with nine starts. He finished with nine sacks - good for first among rookies and second among all defensive tackles - along with 47 tackles and two forced fumbles. Pro Football Focus also credits Donald with 39 total pressures, which are the most by a rookie tackle since Suh's 41 in 2010. - Caitlyn Holroyd
Donald stepped into a league with plenty of studly defensive tackles and immediately proved he's a top-tier talent. His relentless push from the interior helped make a mediocre Rams team not only competitive, but a tough out for any opponent. - David P. Woods
C.J. Mosley, LB, Ravens
133 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 INTs
Mosley never looked out of place among the deepest group of linebackers in the NFL. It’s far too early to declare Mosley as Ray Lewis’s rightful heir, but the 22-year-old already possesses a complete game, assuming heavy responsibility in pass coverage, while emerging as one of the league's best run-stoppers. Mosley missed just 19 defensive snaps during the entire regular season, per Pro Football Focus, and is poised to lead the Ravens’ defense for the foreseeable future. - Arun Srinivasan
Mosley led all rookies in combined tackles with 133 and was a force in pass coverage, recording two interceptions and eight passes defensed from the linebacker spot. As impressive as Mosley's individual stats are, it's his impact on the entire defense that stands out. The Ravens finished fourth against the run, a jump from 12th in 2013, thanks in large part to Mosley patrolling the middle of the field. - Michael Amato
Khalil Mack, LB, Raiders
75 tackles, 4 sacks
Mack's standout rookie season was about far more than stats could ever show. Despite tallying just four sacks, the Raiders' rookie linebacker was able to apply constant pressure off the edge in the passing game. In the running game, he was even better. It's not too often a young player can make the transition to the NFL so quickly and become one of the best at his position, but Mack did just that in his first year. - Dan Wilkins