Welcome to Touchdown Wire’s countdown of the best defensive rookies in the NFL after Week 1. As the season progresses, this list will reflect a cumulative ranking rather than just a week-by-week analysis.
If you missed our countdown of the top offensive rookies, that list can be found here.
Without further ado, here are our top six first-year players on defense based on their recent debuts and the preseason:
6. Byron Murphy, CB, Arizona Cardinals
Murphy projects to play a ton of snaps in his rookie season, especially with Patrick Peterson suspended. But ideally, Murphy stays as the corner opposite Peterson. Murphy is tough and fundamentally sound, especially in zone coverage. He played well in Week 1 and is set up for a solid rookie year.
5. Brian Burns, EDGE, Carolina Panthers
The Panthers are so deep up front on defense that Burns isn’t set up to play an exuberant number of snaps, and that suits this promising rookie just fine. Like he did all throughout the preseason, Burns showed up well when he did see the field in Week 1 against the Rams.
4. Ed Oliver, DT, Buffalo Bills
Oliver played 47 snaps in his professional debut, with the majority of those coming in passing situations. Oliver should be an every-down player, but his immediate value is being highly disruptive while rushing the passer from the interior — and that is what we saw from him against the Jets. At 6-foot-2, 287 pounds, Oliver isn’t as big as many defensive linemen, but he is powerful and shows remarkably athleticism. A good Buffalo defense got better by drafting Oliver.
3. Juan Thornhill, S, Kansas City Chiefs
Thornhill has a do-it-all skill set and showed off some of that in his rookie debut. He didn’t stand out extraordinarily, but he was consistently around the football in both the run and pass game. The Chiefs are so potent on offense, that on defense, they just need a few athletes who can make big plays. Thornhill looks he could fit that bill, and he should only get better.
2. Darnell Savage, S, Green Bay Packers
The Packers defense looks to be greatly improved. They grabbed Adrian Amos, Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith in free agency and then used first-round picks on Savage and Rashan Gary to totally overhaul the safety and outside linebacker position. Savage came to play in the opener at Chicago. He flies all over the field. Savage will blitz, but he should make his mark as a man-coverage defender against a wide range of NFL pass-catchers. We saw plenty of this in Week 1.
1. Nick Bosa, EDGE, San Francisco 49ers
Bosa played the run very well in his debut at Tampa Bay, but more importantly, he got in Jameis Winston’s face with regularity. Bosa showed superstar potential in his first game despite not playing in the preseason. The Buccaneers couldn’t block Bosa with one man, and offensive tackle Donavan Smith was no match for the No. 2 overall pick. Bosa won rep after rep using a variety of pass-rush moves and techniques. Bosa also excelled against the run. Bosa looks just so much like his older brother, Chargers star Joey Bosa, and should be every bit the same impact player.
