NFL Honors 2012 Predictions: Picks for Rookie of the Year Awards

I'm actually kind of surprised the NFL is just now getting around to dishing out its annual awards in the league's very own awards show. Given the way the league likes to pump itself up, you'd think they would have thought of this years ago.

Better late than never, I suppose.

We're going to see some repeat winners at the "NFL Honors" show on Saturday, but we also know that we're going to see at least two players who have never won a major award get to hoist one for the first time.

These would be your 2011 Rookies of the Year, of course. Here are my picks for Defensive and Offensive Rookies of the Year.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Von Miller, Denver Broncos

There is no obvious choice for Defensive Rookie of the Year this year, but many will argue that it should go to San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith.

Smith was kind of an odd selection when the 49ers chose to take him with the No. 7 overall pick in the draft, but the team's gamble paid off in a big way. Smith racked up 14 sacks throughout the course of the season, finishing half a sack behind Javon Kearse's rookie record.

Here's the thing about Smith, though: He didn't start a single game for the 49ers, and sacking the quarterback was really all he was good for. He was a specialist, and his job was made much easier by the fact he was sharing the field with players like Patrick Willis, Navorro Bowman and Justin Smith.

Von Miller had much more of an impact within Denver's defense. He racked up 64 tackles and 11.5 sacks, playing a key role in the Broncos' defensive revival. Without him, it wouldn't have been possible.

Yes, Miller did have a bit of an up-and-down season. He went cold in some games and was limited by a thumb injury in a few others. But when he was right, he was one of the best linebackers in the league.

Both Smith and Miller are going to be great players for a long time, but Miller's career has gotten off to a better start. He deserves Rookie of the Year honors.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers

I really don't need to justify this one, but I will anyway.

Cam Newton had the best rookie season of any quarterback in the history of the league in 2011. Hands down. Not even close.

All Newton did was pass for a rookie-record 4,051 yards and rush for a quarterback-record 14 rushing touchdowns. He added 21 touchdown passes, and the fact that he completed 60 percent of his passes should not be overlooked. To put that in perspective, Peyton Manning completed 56.7 percent of his passes when he was a rookie in 1998.

In addition, Newton turned the Panthers from a two-win team into a six-win team. They were still bad, but Newton made them significantly better.

If this is Year One, you can't wait to see what Newton has in store for the rest of his career.

For now, he's a lock for Offensive Rookie of the Year.