Potential DROY picks

[MarcusRock]

Whether we like it or not, thanks to Jerry's PT Barnum Abilities, the distinction between "Cowboys circles" and "NFL circles" is almost non existent.

If it was Venn Diagram, the overlap would be a near perfect circle.

Downs is getting a media boost already.

Cowboys are media darlings for sure but any initial focus on this defense is going to be up front as it should. They don't do their jobs it won't matter what Downs does. But Downs is starting from the back of the bunch as this media indicator shows and he's going to have to ball out to get noticed in any DROY race. Good thing Dallas is a high visibility team.

 

[jazzcat22]

Meh, He will get SB MVP instead.

 

[darthseinfeld]

What's going on here..........no Downs?

Early reviews for Styles are not good

 

[darthseinfeld]

Good context, but the player that's in position to make the biggest impact is probably Downs.

Fair or not, if the Dallas defense improves this year, Downs will likely get a lot of credit for it.

Delane and Bain would be the next two guys I'd look to as odds on favorites, IMO.

Reese is having a great camp, and looks ready to hit the ground running. Could have a rookie Micah line where he has sack numbers of an edge rusher and tackle numbers of a LB. 7 sacks and 100 tackles would be hard to beat for ROY

 

[zrinkill]

Down is gonna be great ........ but with this team he will have a hard time being DROY

 

[Kwyn]

Downs is in the conversation but front 7 guys will typically have the edge….no pun intended.

The NFL knows this award and their hype machine is already gearing up but, frankly, I’m surprised they put Styles on there because he’s an ILB

Edge and Cornerbacks
The only stats voters really care about are sacks and interceptions so this group dominates DROY

Linebackers: used to win the award quite often but this century they only win by packing the stat sheet with a massive volume of tackles *combined* with sacks/forced fumbles/interceptions

Shaq Leonard (2018): 161/7/4/2
Schwesinger (2025): 156/2.5/0/2

DTs: Win by being Aaron Donald and getting 9 sacks and 14 TFL and being the best rookie pass rusher in the league. Only three have won it this century.

Safeties: Need to invent a Time Machine and go back to 1990 and put on Mark Carrier’s jersey because that’s the last time it’s been done

Carrier: 122 tackles, 10 INT, 2 FF

 

[gtb1943]

What's going on here..........no Downs?

kind of stupid to do this before the season begins

 

[Coogiguy03]

What's going on here..........no Downs?

I think Bain is going to have a good year

 

[Nova]

Reese is having a great camp, and looks ready to hit the ground running. Could have a rookie Micah line where he has sack numbers of an edge rusher and tackle numbers of a LB. 7 sacks and 100 tackles would be hard to beat for ROY

Good to know. I had not heard anything about his camp, but yeah he could certainly end up being able to produce like Micah.

But we'll see. I've had my doubts about Reese for a while, but he could prove me wrong.

 

[Gambit]

Any list that doesn't include Overton, Barham, Lawrence, and Downs is an incomplete list.

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

LT Overton….apparently.

 

[Kwyn]

I think Bain is going to have a good year

I agree. I was totally prepared and happy with Bain if Downs hadn’t slid to us. If we didn’t need a defensive QB, Bain might have been the best choice. He’d be our best pass rusher even as a rookie.

He’s tearing it up in Tampa, like I expected. He’s really mad and feeling disrespected, which is understandable because 90% of the world was citing statistics about historical arm length and ignoring his top tier college dominance

He didn’t even play in their preseason game because he’s already a day one starter.

The man is going to bring receipts

He’s gonna be really good and is my DROY pick

 

[DoctorChicken]

It will probably go to the rookie with the most sacks, unless some rookie corner gets a bunch of INTs.

Downs would need to have a ton of tackles, a few FFs, a couple sacks, and a few INTs to win it. Which is possible.

 

[Coogiguy03]

I agree. I was totally prepared and happy with Bain if Downs hadn’t slid to us. If we didn’t need a defensive QB, Bain might have been the best choice. He’d be our best pass rusher even as a rookie.

He’s tearing it up in Tampa, like I expected. He’s really mad and feeling disrespected, which is understandable because 90% of the world was citing statistics about historical arm length and ignoring his top tier college dominance

He didn’t even play in their preseason game because he’s already a day one starter.

The man is going to bring receipts

He’s gonna be really good and is my DROY pick

All this talk about short arms etc etc I think will fuel him and he'll have something like 10+ sacks, hell I may even throw a lil wager on him doing so lol jk

 

[MarcusRock]

It will probably go to the rookie with the most sacks, unless some rookie corner gets a bunch of INTs.

Downs would need to have a ton of tackles, a few FFs, a couple sacks, and a few INTs to win it. Which is possible.

I agree. Downs will probably need a few game-saving/winning plays, especially in "big" games to really stand out.

 

[MarcusRock]

All this talk about short arms etc etc I think will fuel him and he'll have something like 10+ sacks, hell I may even throw a lil wager on him doing so lol jk

Just call him T-Rex, where the "T" stands for Terror. Don't steal this. Copywritten already.

 

[slick325]

Down is gonna be great ........ but with this team he will have a hard time being DROY

Parsons won it in 2021 as a Cowboys player. So, it's possible voters look past their Cowboys hate. Lol

 

[Bamx]

Downs has to make the pro bowl to win this,usually it will go to the pass rusher like Reese.

If the Cowboys make it to the Championship game/ Super Bowl and Downs has a great year I can see him possibly getting DROY

 

[zrinkill]

Parsons won it in 2021 as a Cowboys player. So, it's possible voters look past their Cowboys hate. Lol

We were better in 2021

 

[CowboysLakerBamaFan]

What's going on here..........no Downs?

Side question....have you ever seen a safety win NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award?

It's kinda hard for safeties to make THAT big of an impact. Sort of like a guard or fullback winning Offensive Player of the Year Award.

Also....safety is one of the toughest transitions from college to pros, as the passing game is just so different. It's why so many 1st rd safeties are busts....even great prospects, like Downs could be a complete waste. Little easier for pass rushers to flash Year 1

Because it's so difficult to project how a safety will perform when he essentially has to learn a whole new way of playing football, I've always preferred getting safeties in FA (you know what ur getting, and good safeties can be bought at reasonable prices in FA), and then use draft picks on positions you really can't get in FA, and that are easier to transition from the college game. (Not counting QB in this).

Gaurds and safeties are not smart 1st rd investments