Who Deserves NFL Rookie of the Year?

As the 2011 National Football League season draws to a close, it's time to start considering players for the various postseason awards, including Most Valuable Rodgers (oops, slip of the tongue), Defensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Rookie of the Year.

It's that final award that goes under the spotlight here, as we take a look at the first-year players who made the biggest splash in their debut seasons and are the leading candidates to be recognized as the NFL's top newcomer on each side of the ball.

DEFENSE: J.J. Watt: DE, Houston Texans

2011 Stats: 55 tackles, 5.5 sacks

The former Wisconsin star has made a smoother than expected transition to defensive end in Houston's 3-4 defense, ranking third on the team in both sacks and tackles and playing a big part in the Texans' run to their first-ever AFC South title.

OFFENSE: Andy Dalton: QB, Cincinnati Bengals

2011 Stats: 278 of 472, 3,166 Yards, 20 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, 1 rushing touchdown

More than a few teams likely regret "passing" on Dalton in last April's draft, handing the Cincinnati Bengals a second-round gift that has shown remarkable poise in the pocket while leading the Bengals to the brink of a playoff berth.

DEFENSE: Von Miller: OLB, Denver Broncos

2011 Stats: 64 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles

Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller has more than lived up to his second overall selection in the 2011 draft this season, rapidly establishing himself as a pass-rushing force that appeared to be a shoo-in for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors before being slowed late in the season by a thumb injury.

OFFENSE: A.J. Green: WR, Cincinnati Bengals

2011 Stats: 63 receptions, 1,031 yards, 7 touchdowns

A large part of quarterback Andy Dalton's early success can be attributed to the emergence of wide receiver A.J. Green, who is the first rookie wide receiver to top 1,000 yards since 2006, set a franchise record for receiving yards by a rookie, and has been voted to the Pro Bowl.

DEFENSIVE Rookie of the Year: Aldon Smith: OLB, San Francisco 49ers

2011 Stats: 35 tackles, 14 sacks, 2 forced fumbles

Von Miller's injury opened the door for another player to challenge his stranglehold on the DROY award, and San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith burst through it, racking up 6.5 sacks in the past month and leading all rookies in that category despite playing on only about half as many snaps as Miller has.

Smith needs half a sack against the Rams this week to tie Jevon Kearse's rookie sack record, and while this will undoubtedly be a close vote, we're giving the nod to the more disruptive (if unheralded) player.

OFFENSIVE Rookie of the Year: Cam Newton: QB, Carolina Panthers

2011 Stats: 295 of 492, 3,893 yards, 20 touchdowns, 16 interceptions, 674 rushing yards, 14 rushing touchdowns

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton put the first stamp on his 2011 OROY campaign in his first game in the NFL, throwing for 422 yards against the Arizona Cardinals.

The first overall pick in last April's draft then all but wrapped the award up when he broke Steve Young's NFL record for rushing touchdowns in a season by a quarterback.

On behalf of all the skeptics who doubted Newton's ability to be a viable starting quarterback in the National Football League, I would just like to say that we may have been slightly mistaken.