Who will win Defensive Rookie of the Year

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EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was written prior to 's season-ending ACL tear on Friday.Interior linemen have won the last two Defensive Rookie of the Year awards with and earning the last two honors. Could or make it three in a row? Two of the writers believe so. Below are the rest of our picks for Defensive Player of the Year Landon Collins, Giants safetyI'll feel more confident about this exercise when we do it again in Steven Souza Jersey  August with more information to bolster our picks. The traded up for Collins because they had a glaring vacancy at the position following the departure of their top three veterans. Collins is an aggre sive downhill safety rather than a single-high centerfielder, which means he will be filling the box and racking up high tackle numbers on a weekly basis. It will be a major upset if he's not a Week 1 starter for an improved G-Men squad. -- Chris We selingDanny Shelton, Browns defensive tackleYou know who wasn't a sexy pick for this award last May? . I know voters fall for interceptions and highlight-reel plays, but the defensive tackle was a wrecking ball on film. I expect the same from  Jarrod Dyson Jersey in Cleveland.Coach Mike Pettine comes from the Rex Ryan tree, running a scheme that helped nose tackle dominate inside last season after fellow Gang Green defensive lineman won rookie honors two years ago. Shelton won't play every down, but Donald won the medal in 2014 off just 724 snaps. Shelton is an ideal fit for this front seven -- he will help them improve statistically -- and has the benefit of playing in front of a talented secondary. He displayed a genuine knack for the getting to the quarterback in college, leaving him as a candidate to also pile up sacks down the stretch. -- Marc Se slerShaq Thompson, Panthers linebackerDefensive Rookie of the Year will be an award largely based on glamour statistics like interceptions, sacks and tackles for lo s. So, who is in a better spot than anyone to accumulate all of these things? Thompson will be a Swi s Army knife for the and could be a nightmare as a dime linebacker, especially if the get a lead and teams can't keep a running back in to block him off the edge. Might the ' put more singular pre sure on an offense? Absolutely. Could cause more adjustments to the opposing team's game plan on the ' monstrous D-line? Probably. But if Thompson ends the season with a handful of picks and sacks, his name will vault up the list quickly, especially if Carolina's defensive line develops around him. Jorge De La Rosa Jersey  -- Conor OrrLandon Collins, Giants safetyMost rookie defenders drafted ahead of Collins have impediments to playing time sitting in front of them in the form of veterans or scheme adjustments. Collins has none of those. Big Blue has a gaping hole at safety that the rookie will fill immediately. He will aid the run defense as a box-help safety who can hit and tackle. His coverage skills are underrated, and he'll display better-than-average range in the deep third, opening the eyes of some detractors who viewed him merely as a thumper. His opportunity to pile up stats from Day 1 gives him the inside track on this train Clay Buchholz Jersey . Also, as the draft was unfolding last weekend, my nephew was born. His name: Landon. So, karma is on my side and it's as good a reason as any to pick a Defensive Rookie of the Year winner in May. -- Kevin PatraLeonard Williams, Jets defensive linemanThe aren't used to getting gifts from the football gods. So consider the surprise when USC star , the consensus best player in the 2015 draft cla s, fell to the with the sixth overall pick. The smartly selected Williams, getting past the fact that D-line already was an established strength. Williams can only benefit from playing alongside young stars like and , and his size, athleticism and college pedigree will allow Todd Bowles to be creative in how he deploys the rookie. Simply put, the haven't had a defensive player come out of the draft with this much upside since . --  Jeff Mathis Jersey Dan HanzusDante Fowler, Jaguars linebackerVoters respond to sacks. Fowler was the No. 3 pick in the draft because he was the most natural pa s rusher available and had the fewest weak spots in his game. Unlike in Denver, another strong candidate to win this award, Fowler won't have to worry about his number of snaps. The interior line in Jacksonville is only going to help. With and attracting attention inside, Fowler is a decent bet to rack up double digit sacks as a rookie. --Gregg RosenthalSixteen AFC teams. Four Heroes. Three minutes per team. The latest Podcast . Find more content on .*