2020 NFL Defensive Rookie Of The Years Odds & Predictions
The regular season is still a few months away but we at Winners & Whiners, StatSalt, and PickPapa will continue to break down the upcoming season from every angle possible. Yesterday, I gave out my pick for the Offensive Rookie of The Year and today I will do the same on the defensive side of the ball. In my OROY article, I just randomly went over players and then had the prediction at the end. In this one, I will list my Top 10 for the award, starting with number 10 and counting down to one. Let’s get down and dirty with some of the best defensive newcomers in the league.
Top 20 2020 Defensive Rookie Of The Year Odds (Courtesy of Vegas Insider)
Chase Young +200
Isaiah Simmons +500
Kenneth Murray +900
Patrick Queen +900
Jeffrey Okudah +1400
Jordyn Brooks +1600
K'Lavon Chaisson +2000
Derrick Brown +2500
Javon Kinlaw +2500
C.J. Henderson +3300
Xavier McKinney +3300
A.J. Terrell +3300
A.J. Epenesa +4000
Jeff Gladney +4000
Damon Arnette +4000
Zack Baun +5000
Jeremy Chinn +5000
Grant Delpit +5000
Kristian Fulton +5000
Yetur Gross-Matos +5000
Antoine Winfield Jr. +5000
Above are the top 20 players in terms of odds. Below is my Top 10 order as to who I feel will walk away with the award.
10) DT Derrick Brown (+2500): The Carolina Panthers used all seven of their draft picks on the defensive side of the ball, starting with DT Derrick Brown of Auburn. He is a very solid player along the front wall but is more of a run-stuffer than a sack artist. Sacks and INTs usually play a big role in determining the Defensive rookie of the Year award. Brown had 31.5 tackles for loss in his last three years at Auburn, compared to just 11.5 sacks over the same stretch. Vegas has Derrick at number eight on the odds board but I have him at number 10.
9) EDGE K'Lavon Chaisson (+2000): Chaisson was one of the better EDGE Rushers in the draft and he should help the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defense that really struggled a year ago. He had 6.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss for the LSU Tigers a year ago and has a great combination of burst, speed-to-power, and pass-rushing moves. He is definitely on the list for the award, but there is far better talent at the top of the list.
8) DB A.J. Terrell (+3300): The Atlanta Falcons needed to shore up their secondary and they took a huge step forward in doing so. A.J. Terrel is a solid cover-man with excellent straight-line speed. He had five INT the last two years at Clemson, returning one of them for a TD. Terrell also had 13 passes defended in his three years at the school. We do note that he was repeatedly torched by LSU's Ja'Marr Chase in the national title game loss but still he has had a solid career and is on my list of Top 10 defensive newcomers this year.
7) LB Jordyn Brooks (+1600): Jordyn Brooks is a linebacker from Texas Tech and he loves to play in the opponent’s backfield. Last year he had 20 tackles for loss and 3 sacks for the Red Raiders. Brooks has impressive agility and quickness but will also knock you on your ass with his power. He will play with blinders on at times but getting sucked up into run support but still, he is worthy of the seventh slot on my list.
6) LB Kenneth Murray (+900): The Los Angeles Chargers worked both sides of the ball in the first round, drafting QB Justin Herbert with the 6th pick overall, and then they made a trade with the Pats to nab LB Kenneth Murray with the 23rd overall pick. LA has a solid defense overall and Murray will help make them better this year. He is a bit raw but has all the physical tools to be a very good linebacker in this league. Murray had 29.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks the last two years at Oklahoma. He will have a solid season for the Bolts but it will not be enough to win the award.
5) CB Jeffrey Okudah (+1400): We have reached the top five and this is where I will put Jeff Okudah, who was the 3rd overall pick by the Detroit Lions. Cornerbacks don’t generally win this award but he is still one of the best defenders to come out of the draft. Okudah has elite athleticism and the ability to stick to opponents like a shadow. He had just three INTs in three years at Ohio State (All last year) but he also had 17 passes defended in his last two seasons. I do not see him winning this award but Okudah should finish in the top five.
4) DL Javon Kinlaw (+2500): The San Francisco 49ers had a player win DROY last year in Nick Bosa but I feel they will come up just a bit short in winning back to back awards in this category. Still, I look for Javon Kinlaw to have a very solid season and he is expected to start right away for the Niners. Kinlaw is a beast on the line and he had 15 tackles for loss, along with 10 sacks over his last two years at South Carolina. He also has four fumble recoveries in his three seasons at the school. He will be apart of a very dominant front wall at San Francisco and that gives him a shot at taking the award but still, I feel he will fall just a bit short.
3) LB Isaiah Simmons (+500): The Arizona Cardinals got a gift when Isaiah Simmons fell into their laps at the 8th pick overall. He is a player that can man multiple positions on the field but the cards are going to have him focus on just one position which is inside linebacker. Simmons had a huge season with the Clemson Tigers last year, racking up 16.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks, three INTs, and two forced fumbles. The Cardinals have a very good looking offense and now they have a strong building block for a defense that struggled last year. Simmons should have a very solid season but he will fall just short of winning DROY.
2) Patrick Queen (+900): I have been back and forth on one & two and decided to go with Patrick Queen in this spot. The Ravens already have a strong offense and now they have strengthened their defense with the addition of Patrick Queen. He is light on his feet and moves fluidly in every direction. The Ravens need him as they were 29th in the league in sacks last year and while Queen had just three sacks last year, he did have 12 tackles for loss. He can be disruptive and is a very solid run defender. I just feel that he will fall a tad bit short of winning Defensive Rookie of the Year.
1) DE Chase Young (+200): In my OROY article I did not go with the favorite but I will do so here. Chase Young may have been the 2nd overall pick in the draft but he was clearly the best player in the entire draft. Yong had a monster season at Ohio State last year, racking up 21 tackles for loss and 16.5 sacks, plus seven forced fumbles, after posting 14.5 TFL and 10 sacks the year before. The Redskins need help on both sides of the ball but with Young on the defense to go along with Montez sweat will give Washington one of the most dominant defensive lines in the league. Chase is a stat sheet stuffer and for that reason, I feel he will walk away with this year’s Defensive Rookie Of The Year award.
Info Gleaned From Gridiron Experts, NFL.com and CBS Sports.