intercepted his way to last season's Defensive Rookie of the Year award, which marked the first time since 1967 that the same team had both the Offensive Rookie of the Year and the DROY.First-year players like cornerback and pa s-rusher turned in extremely impre sive seasons as well.So, who will it be this season? Let's rank the likely Defensive Rookie of the Year candidates in 2018.12. , CB, Fitzpatrick can do a whole heck of a lot on a football field. He can cover tight ends, blitz effectively, run with wideouts down the field and make his presence felt against the run. While the former star has top-flight speed, he's not a magnificent overall athlete and has a handful of established veterans in front of him in Miami's secondary -- , and T.J. McDonald. One would think will have a leg up on the No. 2 cornerback spot to begin the season, and after his vast experienced in the slot in college, it'd probably make sense for Fitzpatrick to man that position in the pros. He should have a fine debut season in the , because he's long, fast, and comes into the league very well coached. I just don't know if Fitzpatrick will accumulate enough big plays to garner serious Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. 11. , DL, Sleeper alert Jayon Brown Jersey . Yes, I love Green's fit with the Seahawks, a team in dire need of pa s-rushing impact on its defensive line. Green is in the mold of , a front player with end size who can thrive as a tackle in nickel formations and devour guards with his length, quickne s, and hand use. Green needs more sand in his pants against the run. But in obvious pa sing scenarios, he's a refined defender, often utilizing a rapid swim move to get skinny through the line of scrimmage. Malik Willis Jersey Green had 12.5 tackles for lo s and 10 sacks in 11 games last season at . With Bennett -- and -- gone, he's in a prime position to receive a heavy workload as a rookie and produce at a relatively high rate next to .10. , LB, Carter's going to be a versatile play-maker in the NFL, and he has the spring-loaded athleticism needed to do everything at his outside linebacker position in New York. For example, last season at , the tall, fast defender racked up 62 tackles, 8.5 tackles for lo s, 4.5 sacks and forced three fumbles. He very well could have a similar impact on the Giants as a rookie, and don't be surprised if he creates some big plays in coverage too. He can look somewhat awkward when changing directions as he drops in zone, but at nearly 6-foot-5 with 34-inch arms and 4.50 speed, Carter should get his hands on some pa ses in man coverage as a SAM linebacker, and he should start at that position right away. 9. , LB, Evans is your cla sic Alabama linebacker, even if he's more athletically capable than some of his counterparts from Nick Saban's defense. Despite those athletic gifts, Evans' diagnosing skills aren't as quick as they need to be, but in front of a decent defensive interior anchored by and free-agent acquisition , Evans is in line to fill up the stat sheet with a boatload of tackles in his first NFL season. I'm Matt Barkley Jersey just not sure he'll make enough of an impact in coverage to be in DROY contention at season's end. Evans should be a fine replacement for as Tenne see's run-stopping specialist.8. , EDGE, For reasons unbeknownst to me, Okoronkwo wasn't picked until the fifth round in the 2018 draft after an illustrious career at Oklahoma in which he repeatedly displayed the ability to win with speed, bend, and hand use on the edge. Okoronkwo landed in an exquisite situation with Wade Phillips in Los Angeles on a team with an underrated need on the outside of its defensive front. With and attracting a huge amount of attention on the inside, Okoronkwo will be freed up on the edge and is sturdy against the run, so he should see the field often as as rookie. He'll generate consistent pre sure for the Rams in his debut campaign. Somewhere in the 7-9 sack range wouldn't shock me.7. , EDGE, Davenport may have somewhat of a steep learning curve, not because he's unrefined, but more due to the time it'll take to acclimate to the speed and strength of NFL offensive tackles compared to what he faced in college. The former star to sed blockers around like rag dolls and often converted speed to immense power. Beyond that, he showcased decent bend and powerful, active hands to fend off any tackles who did match his quickne s to the pa s-rushing apex. Davenport's a high-motor guy too. There's so much like to like about his game ... and he'll be the bookend to Cam Jordan, an established producer who had a Defensive Player of the Year type of season in 2017. 6. , CB, As an athlete, , and the former cornerback ran a faster 40 than the Giants' superstar wideout at the combine. In Mike Pettine's man-heavy, blitz-predicated scheme, Alexander's physical gifts and tenacity will be on full display as a rookie. While they aren't loaded with household names up front beyond , the have quietly constructed an above-average pa s-rush with names like , and . Also, was added in free agency. Green Bay's first-round pick should get his hands on plenty of pa ses but will have games in which he shuts down opposing wideouts too.5. , DT, who fell in the draft due Chance Campbell Jersey to concerns over his heart ailment. On the field, the former stud wins with Geno Atkins-esque burst off the snap and understands how to utilize his hands to shed blockers and win the leverage battle. With , and to a le ser degree , on the edge, Hurst should be relatively free inside. In Jon Gruden's defense, he'll a sume a pure one-gap role, perfect to accentuate his strengths. Hurst should make a sizable impact against the run and create repeated pre sure on quarterbacks en route to legit DROY consideration in 2018.4. , EDGE, has needed a productive edge-rushing teammate since retired, and the Broncos got him one in Chubb, the Chubb and Miller have different styles. Chubb wins with an impre sive variety of speed-to-power reps and fundamentally sound hand work, while Miller is an electric speed rusher with ridiculous bend and powerful hands. Chubb's size -- 6-4 and 269 pounds -- and sturdine s on the outside should keep him on the field on run downs, and he'll be able to pin his ears back as the "secondary rusher" in pa sing situations. Chubb should load the entire stat sheet as a rookie. 3. , LB, Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has coached the following linebackers in his illustrious career: Sam Mills, Ray Lewis, , and . Smith has natural talent and polished skill in the same territory as those four, and he'll make an immediate impact Breon Borders Jersey on Chicago's defense. He has 4.51 speed, lightning-quick play-deciphering ability and, at times, covers like a safety. The presence of , who led Chicago with 89 tackles in 2017, is the only thing that should hold back Smith's overall production. 2. , LB, BillsEdmunds is a freak athlete at 6-4 and 253 pounds with blazing speed and outstanding twitchine s to explode toward the football. In Sean McDer