NFL Rookie of the Year 2011: Breaking Down Von Miller vs. Aldon Smith

The NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year chase is pretty much a two-horse race. It's either going to go to Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller or San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith.

I'll be fair to both of them right off the bat and say that they both had outstanding rookie seasons. Miller rewarded the Broncos for picking him with the No. 2 overall pick, and Smith rewarded the 49ers for picking him with the No. 7 overall pick. They started their careers on the right foot, and the future is bright for both of them.

Okay, now let's get down to brass tacks.

It's a close call, but the raw numbers favor Smith. Despite playing relatively few snaps, he managed to rack up 37 tackles and 14 sacks, and he also forced a pair of fumbles. The 14 sacks left him half-a-sack shy of Jevon Kearse's rookie record.

Miller finished with 64 tackles, 11.5 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles. Not bad numbers by any stretch of the imagination, but Smith's line gets the edge because of the sack totals.

But when you're discussing defense in the NFL, there's really only so much you can learn from the raw numbers. Determining overall quality requires a much deeper dive.

Beyond the raw numbers, there are these two numbers: 79 and 48.

Per ESPN.com, the first number belongs to Miller and the second number belongs to Smith. They're the percentage of snaps both players played throughout the course of the season.

Obviously, Miller was way more involved in Denver's defense than Smith was in San Francisco's defense.

This is no secret, and it's not a surprise either. Miller was a starter from the get-go in 2011, and he served as an every-down player for virtually the entire season—at least until he injured his thumb late in the season. That forced him to miss a game, and he never really fully recovered. His play suffered as a result.

Those who support Smith will point out that he made more of an impact than Miller did despite playing fewer snaps. This is true and untrue. It's true to the extent that Smith had more sacks, but that doesn't mean Smith was more productive than Miller. It means he was a better specialist than Miller.

For the most part, all Smith did was rush the passer. He was only used on passing downs, in which his only responsibility was to get after the quarterback. Once the 49ers realized this formula worked, they had no incentive to change it. Smith dominated in the role he was given.

Let's not forget that Smith had a lot of help around him. He got to play alongside Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman, and Smith can thank Justin Smith for eating up blockers whenever he had to get after the quarterback.

Miller didn't have nearly as much talent around him in Denver. Among the guys the Broncos have up front, the only other guy who can be called a stud is Elvis Dumervil. It's not an impressive front seven.

Yet Miller managed to have a great season anyway. At times, he was dominant.

The Broncos ended the season being just okay on defense. Take Miller out of the equation, though, and they would have been awful.

Take Smith out of the equation in San Francisco, and the 49ers probably don't end up being the top defensive team in the NFC.

But are they still excellent? Absolutely. Not a doubt in my mind.

When it comes to choosing a defensive rookie of the year, you have to pick the one guy who truly made a difference. In 2011, it was Von Miller.