The 2025 NFL Draft features one of the deepest defense classes in years. Multiple players could become the DROTY. With so much talent, an elite defender, including Nic Scourton or Donovan Ezeiruaku , could still be available late in the first round for the Detroit Lions to draft.
How the Detroit Lions Could Draft A DROTY Candidate
The Defensive Rookie of the Year isn’t always the draft’s highest-ranked defensive player. Highly coveted first-round pick Abdul Carter won’t necessarily become the DROTY. Numerous players in this year’s draft class could develop into the DROTY.
It takes more than raw talent for a rookie to successfully transition from collegiate star to the NFL. It’s rare for a player to transition from college to the NFL without a few growing pains and rookie mistakes. How quickly the prospect can learn and their coachability are determining factors. The caliber of the talent surrounding him is just as important. Playing alongside superior talent on a highly ranked defense will benefit his performance because opposing teams will cover other players.
DROTY Draft History
Looking at the history of DROTY players could provide information regarding this year’s draft prospects. Given the depth of this year’s draft class, the Lions could draft a mid or even a late first-round selection that becomes a highly productive talent and ends up as the DROTY. While all the star athletes awarded Defensive Rookie of the Year were first-round selections, their position in the draft varied from the second overall selection to the 19th pick.
2024 Draft Jared Verse (Los Angeles Rams LB)
In 2024, the L.A. Rams drafted Jared Verse with the 19th pick. Verse was the fourth defender drafted after the Indianapolis Colts acquired Laiatu Latu with the 15th pick. Byron Murphy was selected next by the Seattle Seahawks (16), and the Minnesota Vikings took Dallas Turner (17). He developed his skills with one of the best defensive units in the league, featuring Kobie Turner and Byron Young. Verse finished his rookie season with 66 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
Despite a slow start due to injuries, the Rams made the playoffs. Despite a slow start due to injuries, the Rams made the playoffs. Verse’s biggest contribution came in the post season. That’s when he had a pick six- off Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, leading to the Rams 27-9 victory. Although the team lost the NFC Divisional Round to the Philadelphia Eagles, Verse’s debut earned him a spot on the PFWA All-Rookie Team. There is no doubt that Verse benefited from the high caliber of defensive talent playing alongside him. Safety Kamren Kinchens was twice named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week, DE Braden Fiske was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for November, and cornerback Cobie Durant was the NFC Defensive Player of the Week as well. Two other Special Teams players, Joshua Karty ( PFWA All-Rookie Team) and Jordan Whittington (NFC Special Teams Player for December) earned honors.
2021 Draft Micah Parsons (Dallas Cowboys DE)
Another example of a player surpassing his projected draft is Micah Parsons . Two cornerbacks, Jaycee Horn (Carolina Panthers) and Patrick Surtan (Denver Broncos), were drafted before Parsons. However, Parsons joined a talent-rich Dallas team.
Selected by the Cowboys with the 12th pick of the 2021 Draft, Parsons had an outstanding NFL debut that produced 13 sacks, 84 tackles, and three pass defenses. The unanimous choice for DROTY, he was 16th on the 2022 NFL Top 100 players list. Parsons’ equally impressive sophomore stats landed him in 9th place on the NFL’s Top 100 list with 13.5 sacks, 65 tackles, three passes defended, and three forced fumbles.
Continuing to deliver Pro Bowl-worthy numbers in 2023, Parsons recorded 14 sacks, 64 tackles, two pass defenses, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. He ranked 17th on the NFL’s 2024 Top 100 listing.
Entering the 2024 season, the Cowboys exercised Parsons’ fifth-year option, which guaranteed $25 million in 2025. Parsons delivered another solid year with 12 sacks, 43 tackles, one pass defense, and two forced fumbles.
The assumption is that an enormous payday will be forthcoming next year. Assuming Dallas re-signs him to a multi-year contract, current reports suggest Parsons could become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the league with a hefty price tag of $200 million.
2020 Draft Chase Young (Washington Football Team DE)
While Parsons and Verse are two players who exceeded their draft projections, other DROTY recipients were that year’s highest draft picks. The second overall pick of the 2020 draft, Chase Young, was selected by the Washington Football Team. The former Ohio State Buckeye and Heisman Trophy winner had an excellent rookie year with 7.5 sacks, 44 tackles, four pass defenses, three forced fumbles, and one fumble return.
Young earned the Best Breakthrough Award at the ESPYs and ranked 61st on the NFL Top 100 of 2021 list. Besides Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings, Young was the only rookie named to the Pro Bowl that year.
However, after his sensational debut, Young’s sophomore year ended in disaster in Week 10 when he tore his ACL. Extensive rehabilitation kept him off the roster for most of the 2022 season. In 2023, although Young recorded 5 sacks, 15 tackles, and a pass defense through the first eight weeks of the season, Washington opted not to extend his fifth-year option. Instead, they traded him to the San Francisco 49ers. Young finished the 2023 season with a combined 7.5 sacks, 25 tackles, and two pass defenses.
Young signed a one-year contract with the New Orleans Saints in March 2024. After missing most of training camp due to neck surgery, Young’s 31 tackles and 5.5 sacks led the Saints to re-sign him to a three-year, $51 million contract in March of this year.
2022 Draft Sauce Gardner (New York Jets CB)
A former Cincinnati Bearcat who was the AAC Defensive Player of the Year, Sauce Gardner , declared for the 2022 NFL draft as a junior. The New York Jets drafted him fourth after Detroit selected Aidan Hutchinson (2nd) and the Texans chose CB Derek Stingley (3rd).
In his rookie year with the Jets, Gardner recorded 75 tackles, 2 interceptions, and led the league with 20 pass defenses. Gardner ranked 23rd on the NFL’s Top 100 list. He was voted to the 2023 Pro Bowl, one of only two rookies, along with Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen.
In 2023, Gardner suffered a concussion and was declared inactive for a week. However, he finished the 2023 season with 57 tackles, 11 pass defenses, and one forced fumble. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive year, earning First-Team All-Pro honors, a rarity among defensive players. After a hamstring injury in 2024, Gardner appeared in only 15 games and finished the season with 49 tackles, nine pass defenses, one interception, and one sack.
How The Lions’ First Round Draft Pick Could Become DROTY
The success of a first-round draft pick can vary significantly based on the talent surrounding him. Detroit drafted Jeff Okudah (after Young) with the third pick during the dysfunctional Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia era. While Okudah still plays in the NFL today (Minnesota Vikings), due to injuries and the lackluster Detroit talent surrounding him, he never lived up to his draft projection as the highest-rated cornerback in his class.
However, a great deal has changed in Detroit since 2020. Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell have assembled an incredible roster of high-quality talent. Aidan Hutchinson, Brian Branch , Kerby Joseph, Alex Anzalone, and Jack Campbell make up one of the best defensive units in the league. By the example he sets on the field, Anzalone can elevate the performance of those around him. Even drafting a late first-round EDGE rookie to pair opposite Hutchinson and surrounding him with the wealth of Lions defense talent could result in the Lions having a DROTY candidate.
Main Photo Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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