Blogging The Boys
Who stands between Downs and hardware his rookie season?
Notably, those guys are both true corners playing on the outside; Downs will be playing in the nickel this season for Dallas, but it is genuinely rare for a safety/secondary Swiss Army Knife to win this award.
The good news is that Downs is a genuinely rare player, so the past may not matter in his case, and the following players will have to overcome that to win it themselves.
1. David Bailey, EDGE, NYJ (+500 via FanDuel)
The top EDGE Rusher taken in the 2026 NFL Draft, David Bailey joins the Jets with a ton of potential and a clear-cut starting role. He will be given the chance to tally up the sacks, and if he does, he’ll remain a top contender for this award.
2. Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, TB (+550 via FanDuel)
Rueben Bain dominated at Miami, but fell in the draft due to concerns over his arm length. If he overcomes those worries, he will be an impact defender in Tampa Bay immediately, and he could easily run away with this.
3. Arvell Reese, LB, NYG (+800 via FanDuel)
Down’s teammate at Ohio State, Arvell Reese landed in New York at 5th overall, and he now poses a major threat to any other rookies hoping for the DROY. His mixture of skills and positional versatility means he could fill up the stat sheet in 2026.
A decent chunk of the 2026 season’s outcome rests on Overshown’s shoulders.
In a recent article by Benjamin Solak of ESPN, he named one breakout candidate for every NFL team. For the Cowboys, that player was none other than Overshown, who is entering a very critical contract year. Despite playing just 13 career games, many believe he is poised for a huge season and could earn a big deal in 2027.
Solak is clearly in that camp as he believes Overshown is one of the most important players for the Cowboys on the defensive side of the ball. However, there are still some major concerns about Overshown going into the 2026 season. Here is a snippet of why Solak believes Overshown can be a star this season, but also why it’s fair to be a bit skeptical of him going into the year:
***“Overshown did not look like himself after returning last season in Week 11 — he had only one TFL in six games after posting eight in 13 games during the 2024 season. He cleared 19 mph in top speed seven separate times in the 2024 season, per NFL Next Gen Stats; he never cleared it in 2025. As he gets further away...
