NFL Rookies of the Year 2022-23: Award Candidates and Predictions
It's no secret that NFL fans are looking forward to Super Bowl LVII this coming Sunday between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
But before the big game in Glendale, Arizona, the league will recognize the players who made the biggest individual impacts for their respective teams during NFL Honors on Thursday night.
The marquee awards for the event, of course, are the AP Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and AP Most Valuable Player.
But every journey in the NFL has a beginning, which is why there's also a focus on the Offensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Last season, Ja'Marr Chase (WR, Cincinnati Bengals) and Micah Parsons (LB, Dallas Cowboys) were the respective winners of the awards. But who will win this year?
The show will broadcast live at 9 p.m. ET on NBC, Peacock and NFL Network.
Here's a look at the top candidates and predictions for both of the rookie awards.
The Top Candidates
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Garrett Wilson
Garrett Wilson had to play with four different quarterbacks in his first season in the NFL with the New York Jets and still found a way to excel.
The 10th overall draft pick in 2022 finished the year with 83 receptions for 1,103 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
Wilson's catches were a franchise record for rookies, and he led all first-year wideouts in receptions and receiving yards.
With stats like that, it's easy to see why the 22-year-old is the overwhelming favorite to win the OROY.
Kenneth Walker III
The Seattle Seahawks pulled off a nice heist in the 2022 draft by selecting Kenneth Walker III in the second round.
The Michigan State product rushed for 1,050 yards and nine touchdowns in his rookie campaign, fueling Seattle toward the playoffs.
When Russell Wilson bolted to the Denver Broncos before the season, it was assumed the Seahawks would have to start rebuilding.
But with the comeback season of Geno Smith and emergence of Walker, Seattle is looking like a contender well ahead of schedule.
Ahmad Gardner
The Jets didn't want to call Ahmad Gardner by his nickname during the preseason.
But after the season he's had, including making the Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro, they have no problem with calling him "Sauce" now.
"Ahmad has some sauce to him, that's for sure," linebacker C.J. Mosley said in August, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. "On the field, he's working all the time. He's on the sideline asking questions. Off the field, he's very confident, as well. He's a very smart player, and you respect that a lot. He doesn't try to act like he knows everything. He listens and tries to do the right thing."
To finish out the season, Gardner had 75 tackles, 20 passes defended and two interceptions.
The 22-year-old also took on the best receivers in the league in Ja'Marr Chase, Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill, Justin Jefferson and D.K. Metcalf.
Based on the numbers and the eye test, Gardner was comfortably the best cornerback in the NFL this past season.
Aidan Hutchinson
While most analysts have Gardner winning DROY, Aidan Hutchinson still deserves serious consideration.
The 22-year-old finished the season with 52 total tackles, 9.5 sacks, 53 quarterback pressures, nine tackles for loss and three interceptions.
Week in and week out, the Michigan product was able to get after the opposing quarterback and make plays around the ball.
Based on his stellar play, Hutchinson became the first Detroit Lion ever to win Rookie of the Month twice.
"We knew Aidan," Lions general manager Brad Holmes said, per Jeremy Reisman of SB Nation. "We pretty much knew what his skill set was and what his drive and determination, what his intangibles were. So, I don't want to say like we knew that the statistics would be what they were, but we're not really surprised that they ended up having success."
Predictions
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There will be arguments for Brock Purdy based on how he came in and ran the table for the San Francisco 49ers and helped steer them to the playoffs.
However, the race for Offensive Rookie of the Year comes down to Wilson and Walker III.
Both players had productive, breakout years at their position. When the votes are tallied, though, Wilson should be the one taking home the award.
As for Defensive Rookie of the Year, it's between Gardner and Hutchinson.
If this were any other year, it would be Hutchinson's award all day long. But Gardner made the kind of impact that took him all the way to the Pro Bowl.
So the DROY should be with the Cincinnati product on Thursday night.
Chances are that no one had two members of the New York Jets winning awards at NFL Honors on their bingo card, but stranger things have happened.
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