Most Impactful Defensive Rookies In Past 51 Years

SFloridaCowboy

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Does Dallas Dig Diggs?

Do Cowpokes Prefer Parsons?

Both are WOW players, with Diggs a heaven-sent player. Look at the past rookie defensive performers as rookies.

Cliff Harris 2 Int's, and Charlie Waters, 5 INT's, free safeties 1970
Harvey Martin, DE 1973, 9 sacks
Too Tall Jones, DE 1974, 6 sacks
Randy White, LB/RDE as rookie, 1975, 6 sacks
Everson Walls, CB, 1981, 11 INT's
Michael Downs, FS, 1981, 7 INT's
Russel Maryland, DT, 1991, 4.5 sacks
Darrin Smith, LB, 93 tackles
Dexter Coakley, LB, 1997, 89 tackles
Terrence Newman, CB, 2003, 4 INT's
DeMarcus Ware, LB/DE, 2005, 8 sacks
Leighton Vander Esch, LB, 2014, 140 tackles
 
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Whirlwin

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Does Dallas Dig Diggs?

Do Cowpokes Prefer Parsons?

Both are WOW players, with Diggs a heaven-sent player. Look at the past rookie defensive performers as rookies.

Cliff Harris 2 Int's, and Charlie Waters, 5 INT's, free safeties 1970
Harvey Martin, DE 1973, 9 sacks
Too Tall Jones, DE 1974, 6 sacks
Randy White, LB/RDE as rookie, 1975, 6 sacks
Everson Walls, CB, 1981, 11 INT's
Michael Downs, FS, 1981, 7 INT's
Russel Maryland, DT, 1991, 4.5 sacks
Darrin Smith, LB, 93 tackles
Dexter Coakley, LB, 1997, 89 tackles
Terrence Newman, CB, 2003, 4 INT's
DeMarcus Ware, LB/DE, 2005, 8 sacks
Leighton Vander Esch, LB, 2014, 140 tackles
It’s a good time to be a cowboy fan. William Maclay has been doing a phenomenal job finding these guys
 

Whirlwin

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Does Dallas Dig Diggs?

Do Cowpokes Prefer Parsons?

Both are WOW players, with Diggs a heaven-sent player. Look at the past rookie defensive performers as rookies.

Cliff Harris 2 Int's, and Charlie Waters, 5 INT's, free safeties 1970
Harvey Martin, DE 1973, 9 sacks
Too Tall Jones, DE 1974, 6 sacks
Randy White, LB/RDE as rookie, 1975, 6 sacks
Everson Walls, CB, 1981, 11 INT's
Michael Downs, FS, 1981, 7 INT's
Russel Maryland, DT, 1991, 4.5 sacks
Darrin Smith, LB, 93 tackles
Dexter Coakley, LB, 1997, 89 tackles
Terrence Newman, CB, 2003, 4 INT's
DeMarcus Ware, LB/DE, 2005, 8 sacks
Leighton Vander Esch, LB, 2014, 140 tackles
What a great list. I don’t remember the linebackers name. It wasn’t Sean Lee. But it was Lee something. Refresh my memory
 

SFloridaCowboy

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REVISED LIST OF SOLID OR BETTER ROOKIE IMPACT PERFORMERS
ON THE DEFENSIVE SIDE, 1970-PRESENT

Cliff Harris 2 Int's, and Charlie Waters, 5 INT's, free safeties 1970
Harvey Martin, DE 1973, 9 sacks
Too Tall Jones, DE 1974, 6 sacks
Randy White, LB/RDE as rookie, 1975, 6 sacks
Everson Walls, CB, 1981, 11 INT's
Michael Downs, FS, 1981, 7 INT's
Russel Maryland, DT, 1991, 4.5 sacks
Robert Jones, MLB, 1992, 108 tackles
Darrin Smith, LB, 1993, 93 tackles
Dexter Coakley, LB, 1997, 89 tackles
Roy Williams, Safety, 2002, 5 INT's
Terrence Newman, CB, 2003, 4 INT's
DeMarcus Ware, LB/DE, 2005, 8 sacks
Maliek Collins, DT, 2016, 5 sacks
Leighton Vander Esch, LB, 2018, 140 tackles

What Diggs is doing in his 2nd year is unprecedented in Cowboys history, rookie or 2nd year player. The 1981 Cowboys had two rookies in Everson Walls and Michael Downs, both free agents, haul in 18 INT's between them. But back in those days, INT's were much more frequent than in today's NFL.
 

Scotman

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List is from 1970 to present

I was trying to answer a Whirlwin's question. It's the response right above mine. If you're positive he's thinking about someone after 1970, by all means, respond to him.

Still any discussion that excludes Lee Roy Jordan from consideration as an all-time great Cowboys' rookie is a bit odd, in my opinion.
 

SFloridaCowboy

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I was trying to answer a Whirlwin's question. It's the response right above mine. If you're positive he's thinking about someone after 1970, by all means, respond to him.

Still any discussion that excludes Lee Roy Jordan from consideration as an all-time great Cowboys' rookie is a bit odd, in my opinion.

If you want to expand the list to include the 60's, be my guest and add LeeRoy and others. I love to see others contribute. Lilly, Pugh, Andrie, Cornell Green, Mel Renfro, Larry Cole, Chuck Howley; for a D lineman, we look for sacks; for LB's tackles and/or sacks; for DB's, give INT's
 

SFloridaCowboy

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I was trying to answer a Whirlwin's question. It's the response right above mine. If you're positive he's thinking about someone after 1970, by all means, respond to him.

Still any discussion that excludes Lee Roy Jordan from consideration as an all-time great Cowboys' rookie is a bit odd, in my opinion.

If you want to expand the list to include the 60's, be my guest and add LeeRoy and others. I love to see others contribute. Lilly, Pugh, Andrie, Cornell Green, Mel Renfro, Larry Cole, Chuck Howley; for a D lineman, we look for sacks; for LB's tackles and/or sacks; for DB's, give INT's
 

Bobhaze

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Here’s some Cowboys defensive rookies from the 60s that had an impactful rookie season….
  • Bob Lily- DT, 1961- 5.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery in a 12 game season
  • George Andrie- 1962- DE, 7 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries in a 12 game season
  • Lee Roy Jordan- LB, 1963- 3 INTs, 1 fumble recovery, 1 sack in 8 games
  • Willie Townes- DE- 1966- 9 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries in a 14 game season
Side note- Pro Football Reference is where I go for career stats. One reason I like their stats is they research game film for defensive players before 1982 which was the year the NFL started keeping sacks. A lot of the Cowboys players in the 60s and 70s didn’t get credited with all the sacks they had.
 

TheMightyVanHalen

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Does Dallas Dig Diggs?

Do Cowpokes Prefer Parsons?

Both are WOW players, with Diggs a heaven-sent player. Look at the past rookie defensive performers as rookies.

Cliff Harris 2 Int's, and Charlie Waters, 5 INT's, free safeties 1970
Harvey Martin, DE 1973, 9 sacks
Too Tall Jones, DE 1974, 6 sacks
Randy White, LB/RDE as rookie, 1975, 6 sacks
Everson Walls, CB, 1981, 11 INT's
Michael Downs, FS, 1981, 7 INT's
Russel Maryland, DT, 1991, 4.5 sacks
Darrin Smith, LB, 93 tackles
Dexter Coakley, LB, 1997, 89 tackles
Terrence Newman, CB, 2003, 4 INT's
DeMarcus Ware, LB/DE, 2005, 8 sacks
Leighton Vander Esch, LB, 2014, 140 tackles

Michael Downs is very underrated. Michael had more INT's and about the same in forced fumbles than Troy Polamalu. I can't find the stats on his total tackle count but from what it looks like from his Wiki page he had a lot of tackles. He had 5 seasons with 100 tackles or more, Troy has none. And Michael played 2 fewer years too.
 

JeffInDC

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Here’s some Cowboys defensive rookies from the 60s that had an impactful rookie season….
  • Bob Lily- DT, 1961- 5.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery in a 12 game season
  • George Andrie- 1962- DE, 7 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries in a 12 game season
  • Lee Roy Jordan- LB, 1963- 3 INTs, 1 fumble recovery, 1 sack in 8 games
  • Willie Townes- DE- 1966- 9 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries in a 14 game season
Side note- Pro Football Reference is where I go for career stats. One reason I like their stats is they research game film for defensive players before 1982 which was the year the NFL started keeping sacks. A lot of the Cowboys players in the 60s and 70s didn’t get credited with all the sacks they had.

Just an FYI - Lilly and Andrie both played 14 games (the NFL went to a 14 game schedule in '61).
 

noshame

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I'd have to say the biggest wow factor was the manster because he was just too quick and too strong.
The first couple games i thought Walls was a bum but soon he made them pay.
It kills me I've been around for all these guys.

Offensively I'd go with the bullet and Calvin Hill. Watching Calvin hurdle guys on the power sweeps was amazing.
So many, so little time, and so few brain cells.
 
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