Updated Look at Defensive Rookie-of-the-Year Candidates After Preseason Week 3

Every year new stars are born. While retiring or aging veterans slowly start to step away from the limelight, the league's youth are as strong as they have ever been. As far as pure athleticism is concerned, the league gets better every year.

Because of that, there's a tremendous amount of focus placed on first-round picks. We spend months tracking college players' progress, because the impact they will make for and on a franchise, and possibly their opportunity costs, will greatly affect their respective teams' trajectory.

But, once players enter the league, their 15 minutes of fame as prospects are over. They are no longer a product that 32 fanbases are interested in, but rather they are just one clan's trophy. If you haven't been focusing on rookie defenders, who are primarily playing as backups this preseason, I don't blame you.

Thankfully for you, there are those among us who are more than willing to watch every second of football after the sport's long break. Everyone can look at an offensive box score and tell which skill players are making an impact, but the defensive side of the ball is more subtle.

Who is in the running for the Defensive Rookie of the Year based on their preseason standing? Which first-rounders haven't lived up to the hype early on? Which mid-rounders are already looking like steals?

We'll break down each unit (defensive backs, linebackers, pass-rushers and interior defensive linemen) and the key players in the race, based on historical trends, individual roles and their talent level.

Defensive Backs

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Landon Collins of the New York Giants

The sad truth is there's really no shot for defensive backs to win Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Since Dale Carter won both the Associated Press' (AP) and the Pro Football Writers of America's (PFWA) Defensive Rookie of the Year awards in 1992, only one cornerback has received the nod from both organizations: Charles Woodson, who in his last year in college became the first defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy.

In 2004, PFWA voted Dunta Robinson the top defensive rookie, but Jonathan Vilma, a linebacker, got the AP co-sign. Safeties fair even worse regarding the award, as only two have won the AP's blessing since its beginning in 1967, while three have passed the PFWA criteria since 1969.

Five defensive backs were selected in the first round this past draft class. Minnesota's Trae Waynes was drafted as a high-upside corner for defensive back whisperer Mike Zimmer to refine, and, at this point, he still looks as raw as ever. Houston's Kevin Johnson and Kansas City's Marcus Peters have looked good in coverage, but hybrid cornerback-safety Byron Jones has struggled at times.

Jones, like Waynes, is a player whose draft stock wasn't based around the present, but rather what he could develop into. The last first-round defensive back, Damarious Randall, a college safety, has converted to cornerback for the Green Bay Packers and is matching up with receivers outside in nickel looks, kicking starting corner Casey Hayward into the slot.

Overall, there's not much excitement in this group. The one sleeper to keep an eye on is Landon Collins, who seems to be the only healthy safety the New York Giants have on their roster. He may have to clean up some of the messes that a poor linebacking unit makes in front of him, which gives him the opportunity to inflate his tackles.

Legitimate contenders: None

Linebackers

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Kwon Alexander of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Off-the-ball linebackers seem to have an edge for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Over the past decade, six have come away with the award, matching the six pass-rushers, defensive linemen and defensive backs have combined.

In 2013, the AP gave their award to Sheldon Richardson, a defensive linemen, while Kiko Alonso was the PFWA's nomination. 2011 featured a double-dip year at pass-rusher, with Von Miller and Aldon Smith splitting the publications' honors.

This past draft featured two first-round off-the-ball linebackers: Carolina's Shaq Thompson and New Orleans' Stephone Anthony. Thompson is a converted defensive back who figures to help the Panthers in coverage, as they heavily rely on their linebackers to cover short zones so defensive backs are free in the deeper portions of the field.

Anthony has looked good at this point, but he, like Thompson, is still rotating in and out of the Saints' starting lineup. Both have promising futures, but it's hard to make the assumption that either will rack up tackle numbers such as Alonso, Brian Cushing, Patrick Willis and Thompson's teammate Luke Kuechly have in the past, numbers which vaulted them into consideration for awards.

Linebacker is the one position that doesn't beg for first-round labels to ascend rookies, though. Alonso and fellow off-the-ball linebacker DeMeco Ryans are also the only two non-first-round picks to net the awards over the last decade. There is one mid-round linebacker who has made a big splash this preseason: Kwon Alexander.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted Alexander in the fourth round, but he has already earned a starting role on the squad and is calling plays on defense from his middle linebacker role. He has just as good of a shot at coming away with some 2015 hardware as Thompson and Anthony.

Legitimate contenders: Stephone Anthony (New Orleans), Kwon Alexander (Tampa Bay) and Shaq Thompson (Carolina)

Pass-Rushers

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Vic Beasley of the Atlanta Falcons

Pass-rushers are the NFL's money position on the defensive side of the ball, but they aren't likely to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. In the past decade, the award has only been given to sack artists twice, in 2011, when Von Miller and Aldon Smith split the honor and, in 2005, when Shawne Merriman took the prize home.

This group's highest-drafted contender, Dante Fowler, the third overall pick by way of Florida, won't be playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars this season after he tore his ACL in rookie camp.

That leaves Vic Beasley, Bud Dupree and Shane Ray as the position's premier players. Beasley is slated to be the Atlanta Falcons' starting 4-3 defensive end, while Dupree and Ray are rotational 3-4 outside linebackers for the coming year.

Dupree has a better shot to land a starting gig midseason, considering All-Pros DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller aren't ahead of him on the depth chart in Pittsburgh like Ray has to deal with in Denver. Unfortunately, Dupree has looked pedestrian outside of a stretch of plays against the Green Bay Packers when he beat up reserve offensive tackles.

Ray has flashed several times, netting 1.5 sacks over the last two games. When Aldon Smith won the award in 2011, he was also a rotational player, but he still managed to come away with 14 sacks over the course of his rookie season. Ray may have a shot to put up the same type of production off the bench.

Two non-first-rounders also have stood shoulders above their peers this preseason.

Frank Clark and Randy Gregory were both drafted in the second round in 2015, but they have first-round talents. Clark faced domestic-violence allegations during his senior year at the University of Michigan, which led to his dismissal from the team. Gregory failed a drug test at the scouting combine in Indianapolis this winter that impacted his draft stock, which at the time had him considered a top-five pick.

Clark posted a nine-tackle game in his first preseason game, while Gregory has notched a sack every week. Both have issues in their past, and neither will be starting, but in the same vein as Ray, they could compete for the award. Greg Hardy's four-game suspension in Dallas may just give Gregory the edge.

Legitimate contenders: Vic Beasley (Atlanta), Randy Gregory (Dallas), Shane Ray (Denver) and Frank Clark (Seattle)

Interior Defensive Linemen

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Malcom Brown of the New England Patriots

Interior defensive linemen have had more success winning rookie honors in recent years. Aaron Donald, Sheldon Richardson (AP only) and Ndamukong Suh have come away with the award over the past five years. Prior to Suh in 2010, though, the last defensive tackle to win it was Tim Bowens, who was a rookie in 1994.

Are those three recent victors just a fluke, or are they a trend? One thing they all have in common is that they're penetrating defensive linemen. They aren't the two-gaping types you see in typical 3-4 defenses. They're all what would be considered undertackle bodies or the smaller defensive tackle in a 4-3 one-gap defense.

This poses an issue for the top three defensive linemen drafted in the 2015 class. Leonard Williams, selected sixth overall by the New York Jets, is very talented, but he's a strength player who excels as a two-gaping 5-technique defensive lineman. One would say the same about Arik Armstead, whom the San Francisco 49ers were lucky enough to land after trading back in the first round.

Danny Shelton has had a great preseason, putting up film of him running sideline-to-sideline as a 339-pounder. Shelton is a Cleveland Browns nose tackle, though, and that means, as a two-gaping center of a defense, he's not going to be in much of a position to consistently rush the passer or rack up tackles. His play is a sacrifice to open up windows for 3-4 linebackers to shine.

The final first-round defensive tackle is Malcom Brown, who "slipped" to the New England Patriots on draft day.

Often, the Texas product has won one-on-one matchups in the preseason. At 320 pounds, it's hard to make the case that he's the small penetrator Donald, Richardson and Suh are, but if anyone is going to come away with the Defensive Rookie of the Year award as a defensive tackle, the bets should sway heavy toward Brown, who will play in a one-gap 4-3 defense.

One late-round defensive rookie who has stood out is Xavier Cooper.

Cooper was drafted in the third round out of Washington State and looks like a quality penetrating 3-technique defensive linemen when given the opportunity. He's a rotational player at this point, but defensive linemen sub in and out more than anyone on the football field. Cooper may just end up looking like a poor man's Mike Daniels for the Browns in 2015.

Legitimate contenders: Malcom Brown (New England) and Xavier Cooper (Cleveland)