theScore's NFL Awards Roundtable: Defensive Rookie of the Year
The NFL Honors will be handed out on Feb. 4, 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
- Coach of the Year
- Comeback Player of the Year
- Offensive Player of the Year
- Defensive Player of the Year
- Most Valuable Player
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Joey Bosa, DE, Chargers
41 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble
There wasn't much of a list to pick from at this award in 2016, but the Chargers' first-rounder sits comfortably atop it. Once Bosa got his contract and health sorted out, he transformed the Chargers' front seven into a unit opposing offenses began to fear. He notched four sacks through his first three games before seeing his first set of NFL double teams and then figured those out too, reaching the quarterback in every one of his final six games of the year and finishing in a five-way tie for most tackles for a loss. -Mitch Sanderson
The moment Bosa stepped onto an NFL field, he became on the NFL's best pure pass-rushers. And he did so after missing nearly all of the Chargers' offseason program and their first four games. Bosa produced more pressures than any other rookie edge player over the past three years, per Pro Football Focus, and tied for 13th in the league with 10.5 sacks. He's set to terrorize opposing quarterbacks for the next decade. -Jack Browne
On a per-snap basis, Bosa was as dominant as any pass-rusher in the NFL. He'll likely contend for Defensive Player of the Year next season. -David P. Woods
Remember when Bosa's holdout was going to derail his rookie season? The rookie standout excelled from his very first snap, quickly emerging as the leader of the Chargers' defense. In a division that boasts Von Miller, Khalil Mack, and Justin Houston, Bosa looks like the next dominant pass-rusher from the AFC West and will be a force for years to come. -Arun Srinivasan
The Chargers' defense was a completely different unit after Bosa made his debut in Week 5. After racking up 10.5 sacks in just 12 games, there's little doubt that the next great AFC West pass-rusher has arrived. -Dan Wilkins
Bosa proved that his one elite skill translates to the NFL. Bosa averaged nearly a sack a game, and he's the first rookie to record a double-digit sack total since Aldon Smith and Miller in 2011. And he's turning into a burgeoning star in the process. -Michael McClymont
Jalen Ramsey, CB, Jaguars
65 tackles, 14 passes defenses, 2 interceptions, 1 TD, 1 forced fumble
While Bosa had a strong season, he only appeared in 12 games after a contract dispute delayed his debut. Ramsey, however, suited up in all 16 contests and emerged as a star despite the difficult task of taking on opponents' top receivers most weeks. Ramsey flew under the radar in Jacksonville, but proved to be an elite cover corner, who plays with a passion and physicality that will allow him to develop into one of the best at his position, if he's not there already. -Justin Boone
theScore's NFL Awards