The headline of the 2016 NFL Draft was clearly the two quarterbacks being taken first and second overall after the Rams and Eagles traded up to get Jared Goff and Carson Wentz respectively. After that though, seven of the next nine picks were all spent on defensive players, and perhaps more than ever before, there's a huge logjam at the top of the Defensive Rookie of the Year odds.
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Unlike on the offensive side of the ball, where so often quarterbacks end up winning the Rookie of the Year honors, there isn't much in terms of rhyme or reason for the position which the Defensive Rookie of the Year plays. Last year, Kansas City's Marcus Peters won the award as a corner. Prior to that, Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh had won the honor as defensive tackles, while Brian Cushing, Aldon Smith, Luke Kuechly and Kiko Alonso were all chosen as the top defensive rookie as linebackers.
That's why this award is just so hard to try to handicap.
Logic tells you that the first defensive player off the board in the NFL Draft should be the favorite to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. However, San Diego's Joey Bosa really doesn't have a fantastic fit in the 3-4 as we see it. He could be the next J.J. Watt, and he could end up being the next in a long line of players who just didn't make the transition from 4-3 defensive end to either a down 3-4 end or a rush 3-4 linebacker.
More logical is the pick of Jalen Ramsey by Jacksonville. The Jaguars badly needed to get themselves a playmaker on the defensive side of the ball, and they did just that for sure. Ramsey was all over the place at Florida State, and he's sure to bring a swagger to the Jags starting immediately. These playmakers often don't translate at this level though, particularly in their first season on the job, so even Ramsey is a bit of a gamble in our eyes, especially as he solidifies himself in just one position in the NFL.
We've got a few sleepers to keep an eye on who weren't taken early in the NFL Draft as well.
Robert Nkemdiche is a Top 10 talent who had all sorts of problems off the field and with injuries. The Cardinals were the perfect landing spot for him though, as he can lineup alongside Chandler Jones. If Nkemdiche shows the same level of talent in the NFL he did at Ole Miss, he could end up being a massive force right away.
We're also not counting out Reggie Ragland, the man who was the first of the inside linebackers taken in the NFL Draft this year. Rex Ryan tends to get the most out of his linebackers, and Ragland is the perfect fit as a leader of this team. The Bills traded up to get him in the second round, and the selection makes all the sense in the world, especially since the aforementioned Alonso was traded before the start of last season.
As a real deep sleeper, check out Shilique Calhoun from Michigan State. He's going to be asked to be a rush end for the Raiders on the opposite side of Khalil Mack, and scouts have been raving about his athleticism since the first day he stepped foot in Oakland. He was only a third round pick, but Calhoun was massive in East Lansing, and he could translate well into the NFL. It's not often that third round picks end up getting this type of recognition, but the Raiders made a conscious effort in the Draft to try to pick up more pass rushers to give them some depth at those spots, and Calhoun just feels like the perfect fit to us.
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