2019 will be a milestone year for the National Football League, as it will be its 100th season. The first game, known as the NFL Kickoff Game, will take place on September 5th and will be between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers.
The annual NFL Draft, which is the primary way for new players to enter the league, was held in April, ahead of the new season starting. In it, 254 players were selected over seven rounds of picking. The first pick of 2019 was by the Arizona Cardinals who selected quarterback Kyler Murray. Many new defensive players were also picked during the draft, several of which have had stellar careers up to this point. However, only one can be crowned Defensive Rookie of the Year. Here is a look at a few of the main contenders for this title.
Devin White
21-year-old linebacker, Devin White has been drafted into the NFL by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was selected in the first round of the draft following a strong performance playing for the Louisiana State University Tigers. During his college career, White picked up the First-Team All-SEC award in both 2017 and 2018, as well as the Second-Team All-American award in 2017, and the Butkus Award and Consensus All-American award in 2018. During his sophomore season in college he achieved an astonishing 133 tackles, the most in the SEC and the 4th highest number of tackles in a single season at LSU’s history. Following this, he decided to skip his senior year in order to be included in the NFL Draft for 2019. White is currently second favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, closely behind Nick Bosa.
Nick Bosa
Nick Bosa is a 21-year-old defensive end who was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers for the 2019 season. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, where he played in all 13 of his possible freshman games, achieving 29 tackles in that time. This performance continued through his time at college, allowing him to rack up four awards, namely: the ESPN Freshman All-American in 2016, followed by the First-Team All-Big Ten, Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, and Big Ten Champion in 2017. As a result of this fantastic record, he is currently favorite to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award for the 2019 NFL season by odds comparison website Oddschecker.
Quinnen Williams had a monster season in 2018 for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Many believe he was the best player in the 2019 NFL Draft. Photo by Cedric Mason — Touchdown Alabama Magazine
Quinnen Williams
Also 21, Quinnen Williams is a defensive end, originally from Birmingham, Alabama. He was the third pick in the first round of the 2019 Draft, and his college career demonstrates why the New York Jets chose him. During his redshirt freshman year at the University of Alabama, Williams made 20 tackles and two sacks. His performance continued into his redshirt sophomore year, during which he was awarded 4 awards: the SEC Champion, Outland Trophy, Unanimous All-American, and First-Team All SEC. He was also crowned CFP national champion during his redshirt freshman year. At time of writing, he is third favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, but things could change during the season.
Josh Allen
Josh Allen is a 22-year-old linebacker who was drafted into the NFL by the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first round. However, in an unfortunate, confusing coincidence, he shares a name with 23-year-old Josh Allen who is a quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, who also selected him in the first round of the NFL Draft, but in 2018.
Josh Allen the linebacker, played college football during his time at the University of Kentucky, where he collected no fewer than seven awards in just two years. After making 32 solo tackles during his junior year, Allen considered foregoing his final year in college to enter the 2018 NFL Draft. However, he opted to complete his degree, partially influenced by the birth of his son in January 2018. This past season, Allen made 56 solo tackles during his senior year. He was named the top defensive player in the country, beating several players including Alabama’s Quinnen Williams.
Sports run in Allen’s family, since his uncle, Gregory Hines, was a professional basketball player, with success in Division II. Gregory was also drafted into the NBA in 1983, but he never played in the league. His three sisters: Myisha, LaTorri, and Kyra are or have been professional basketball players. Football is therefore, an unorthodox choice for Josh.
Devin Bush Jr.
20-year-old Devin Bush Jr. is a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who selected him in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Football runs in Bush’s family, with his father playing for Florida State. He was also offered a scholarship to play for his father’s former team, but he turned it down to go to the University of Michigan instead. Shortly afterwards, his father was recruited to the team’s coaching staff to work as a defensive analyst.
During his freshman year, Bush quickly impressed, earning a reputation as the hardest hitter among the Michigan Wolverines. During his sophomore and junior years, Bush made 44 and 41 solo tackles respectively. This helped him to pick up six separate awards during these two years. This included First-Team All-Big Ten in both 2017 and 2018, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and Big Ten Linebacker of the Year. Bush is currently fifth favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.
The battle for Defensive Rookie of the Year will be a tight fight between these five strong players. Having all had successful college football careers, during which time they all picked up some prestigious awards, they all deserve their positions of being picked in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The choice of the player who is ultimately successful in securing this title will partially be down to how much time each of them is afforded during their rookie seasons, and how well they seize the opportunity to shine when they are put on the field. Although Bosa is currently favorite, we are several weeks away from the start of the 2019 NFL season, and therefore many things can change between now and the Super Bowl.
