It won’t be long before we find out whether the Los Angeles Rams will have two Rookies of the Year, one, or none. Puka Nacua is a top candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year following his historic first season in the NFL, while Kobie Turner is also among the favorites to win Defensive Rookie of the Year after leading all first-year players with nine sacks.
It’s possible both players will win their respective awards, but there’s also a chance neither of them will take home any hardware at the NFL Honors next month. Peter King of NBC Sports is on the panel of sportswriters who vote on the AP awards and in his column on Monday morning, he revealed who he voted for.
He picked C.J. Stroud over Nacua for Offensive Rookie of the Year, which will disappoint a lot of Rams fans, but he did vote for Turner over Will Anderson Jr. and Jalen Carter for the defensive award. Both Rams rookies are deserving of the award and it’ll simply come down to how the voters perceive each of their impressive seasons.
C.J. Stroud over Nacua for Offensive Rookie, Rams DT Kobie Turner over Will Anderson for Defensive Rookie.
For Nacua, the case is simple: He set several rookie records, including the most receiving yards and receptions in a season by a first-year player. It was statistically the best rookie season ever by a wide receiver, and as good as Stroud was, Nacua’s numbers have never been matched by another wideout in his first season.
For Turner, his case a bit more complex. He had the most sacks by any rookie this year, but he was also a third-round defensive tackle, so he’s gone a bit overlooked since he was drafted. He also tied for fourth in total pressures among rookies, behind Anderson, who had 18 more.
Regardless of whether Nacua or Turner win their respective awards, they each turned in remarkable rookie seasons that will be remembered for a long time – particularly in the case of Nacua.
