Ranking the NFL's top 10 Defensive Rookie of the Year candidates
With 2020 draft prospects now in their new NFL homes, theScore examines the class and ranks the top 10 contenders for both the offensive and defensive rookie of the year awards.
Offense I Defense
10. Grant Delpit, S, Browns
The Cleveland Browns believe Delpit can solve problems in their secondary. He's athletic, possibly the most polished coverage player in this draft, and his football awareness is outstanding. Though there are big questions regarding Delpit's tackling ability, he possesses the skills that separate awarded players, including making an impact through forcing turnovers, going after the quarterback, and creating tackle-for-loss situations.
If the Browns manage to make their secondary a good fit for Delpit - and adding safeties Karl Joseph and Andrew Sendejo, who are both good tacklers, might help - he has all the ingredients to put up a great rookie campaign, and even to become the first safety since Mark Carrier in 1990 to be named Defensive Rookie of the Year.
9. Willie Gay Jr., LB, Chiefs
Gay's rookie-season narrative could be similar to Darius Leonard's rise. Leonard took home this award two years ago as a second-round debutant with the Indianapolis Colts. Though it's unfair to compare Gay to Leonard at this point, the latter also entered the league as part of a linebacker group lacking depth, and as a long shot for this honor.
The Kansas City Chiefs' defense progressively improved last season, mostly because of specific players ascending and their secondary breaking out. But overall, the reigning Super Bowl champions received PFF's lowest grade for run defense, with the team's two starting linebackers (Damien Wilson and Anthony Hitchens) ranking 70th and 81st among 89 linebackers, respectively.
Gay still needs to earn starting snaps, but he'll likely be one of the major contributors if the Chiefs' linebackers improve drastically in 2020.
8. Xavier McKinney, S, Giants
The New York Giants could finally be on track to build a reliable secondary after fielding one of the league's worst units. While they await the development of young players like safeties Jabrill Peppers and Julian Love and 2019 first-round cornerback Deandre Baker, the Giants landed veteran corner James Bradberry this offseason and used their 2020 second-round selection on McKinney.
theScore's highest-ranked safety entering the draft should start from Day 1, and his impact might check all the boxes for what a defensive back can do on the field. In each of his last two seasons at Alabama, McKinney amassed 70-plus tackles (five for a loss of yards), three sacks, four forced turnovers, and one touchdown.
His NFL transition won't come without challenges, but the 20-year-old's football awareness and technique might help him take the league by storm while receiving support from the Giants' promising group of defensive backs. The last Giant to win this award was Lawrence Taylor in 1981.
7. CJ Henderson, CB, Jaguars
A cornerback has been named Defensive Rookie of the Year only eight times. However, with corners under the spotlight while asked to stop the NFL's many talented receivers, the position is getting more individual honors. Consequently, a cornerback has earned this award after two of the last five seasons (Marcus Peters in 2015 and Marshon Lattimore in 2017).
The Jacksonville Jaguars are in a massive rebuild, so don't expect them to be a main focus in 2020. Don't sleep, though, on what Henderson might do in the meantime, as the Florida product possesses an elite combination of man-to-man coverage skills and speed.
The opposition likely won't be afraid to take shots against the Jaguars' young defensive backs this year, and Henderson can benefit from that while making his case for this award.
6. Derrick Brown, DT, Panthers
Though the Carolina Panthers' investment in pass rushing paid off last season (53 sacks), they couldn't defend the run and ended up allowing the most points per game in franchise history. The Panthers are now trying to build a monstrous defensive front, adding Brown and Yetur Gross-Matos with their first two picks this year.
Lining up 2019 first-rounder Brian Burns and Gross-Matos on the edges puts Brown in a good situation on the interior of the defensive line. The former Auburn standout should get enough favorable individual matchups to continue impressing as an excellent run defender (31.5 tackles for a loss in college since 2017).
He can also reach quarterbacks from the inside, similar to the last two interior defensive linemen to be named Defensive Rookie of the Year (Ndamukong Suh in 2010 and Aaron Donald in 2014).
5. K'Lavon Chaisson, EDGE, Jaguars
The Jaguars' rebuilding mode is on full display here, as two of their players are featured on this list.
Jacksonville pressured a lot of quarterbacks through its defensive scheme last season, and even though the team lost Calais Campbell, the development of linebacker Myles Jack and edge rusher Josh Allen can still ensure high production keeps coming from the front seven. Chaisson can join those talented young playmakers and benefit from being around a solid defensive front, just as Allen, a first-round rookie last year, did in 2019.
Last season, three of the four finalists for the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award led first-year defenders in sacks: Allen (10.5), Maxx Crosby (10), and Nick Bosa (nine). That means Chaisson, who possesses an eye-popping do-it-all skill set, now needs to translate his on-field impact to the stat sheet, which didn't happen often during his time at LSU. If he does, Chaisson could build a remarkable rookie campaign.
4. Jeff Okudah, CB, Lions
How did rookie corners claim this award recently? Peters joined an already solid Chiefs defense and complemented it with incredible playmaking ability, while Lattimore locked up some of the NFL's best receivers, helping the Saints' defense to finish as one of the league's best after an awful campaign the year prior.
Okudah doesn't display Peters' pick-6 instincts, but his coverage ability and technique might make him even better than Lattimore. If Okudah somehow steps up and changes the Lions' struggling secondary, he could become a front-runner for this award, as he'll need to prevail during tough matchups. Davante Adams, Adam Thielen, Michael Thomas, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Julio Jones, and DeAndre Hopkins are among the receivers Detroit is scheduled to face in 2020.
3. Patrick Queen, LB, Ravens
It's still mind-blowing that Queen fell to the Baltimore Ravens at No. 28 while becoming the fourth linebacker off the board. He's a great fit for this team and its defense in need of strong players up the middle after a couple of departures during free agency.
Queen should be able to show his athletic ability, football instincts, and coverage skills immediately. The overall talent on the Ravens' defense may create a bigger challenge for him to stand out compared to other rookies. But eventually, the LSU product will be the one making things easier for his teammates.
2. Isaiah Simmons, LB, Cardinals
What won't Simmons be able to do in the NFL? He'll provide both a short- and long-term impact for the Cardinals with his overall talent. The team needed a complete and versatile player after struggling defensively in several areas, including points per game, yards allowed per play, and forced turnovers.
The Cardinals will line up Simmons mostly in the middle of the field as a linebacker, but his time as a safety in college may lead to defensive-back snaps too. His size and athletic ability also give the Cardinals a mouthwatering man-to-man coverage defender against big pass-catchers in the slot.
Simmons is made for the modern NFL, and his ability to impact the game in so many different ways can give him an edge for this award, like it did for Leonard and Bosa over the last two seasons.
1. Chase Young, EDGE, Redskins
There shouldn't be any surprises here. Young was not only the best defender in this year's draft, but he's also one of the most pro-ready prospects the NFL has seen recently. In Washington, he'll be the cherry on top of a very promising defense.
Including Young, the Redskins have added four players to their defensive front using first-round picks since 2017 (Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, and Montez Sweat are the others). Last year the team accumulated 46 sacks, but the three first-round picks preceding Young have yet to reach their full potential.
Though Washington didn't need Young, his arrival might be what takes the Redskins' defense to a new level, similar to what happened with the 49ers and Bosa last season.