Why Laiatu Latu should be the favorite to win the 2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award

When looking at recent defensive rookies of the years, four of the last five have been pass rushers. And nine of the past 14, spanning back to 2010, have been defensive linemen. 

• 2023: Will Anderson, Edge
• 2022: Sauce Gardner, CB
• 2021: Micah Parsons, Edge
• 2020: Chase Young, Edge
• 2019: Nick Bosa, Edge
• 2018: Shaquille Leonard, LB
• 2017: Marshon Lattimore, CB
• 2016: Joey Bosa, Edge
• 2015: Marcus Peters, CB
• 2014: Aaron Donald, DT
• 2013: Sheldon Richardson, DT
• 2012: Luke Kuechly, LB
• 2011: Von Miller, Edge
• 2010: Ndamukong Suh, DT

In the 2024 NFL Draft, four defensive linemen heard their names called in the first round, and three of those four were edge rushers. Laiatu Latu to the Colts, Dallas Turner to the Minnesota Vikings, Jared Verse to the Los Angeles Rams, and Byron Murphy II (DT) to the Seattle Seahawks. 

All four players are very talented and are contenders for the award, but I think the clear favorite should be Latu. Latu is the most proven pass rusher of this group and has elite college production over the past two seasons to prove it. 

Last two college season stats for each DROY contender:

• Latu: 85 total tackles, 34.0 tackles for loss, 23.5 sacks 
• Turner: 53 total tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, 14.0 sacks
• Verse: 89 total tackles, 29.5 tackles for loss, 18.0 sacks
• Murphy: 55 total tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks

Now pair this with the level of talent Latu will have next to him on the Colts defensive line, and I think you have your clear-cut favorite for this year's Defensive Rookie of the Year. Defenses won't be able to throw too much attention toward Latu, with players like DeForest Buckner, Samson Ebukam, Kwity Paye, Grover Stewart, and Dayo Odeyingbo showing last year that they are a force to be reckoned with.

The group even set a new record for the most sacks for the Colts franchise during their tenure in Indianapolis, with 51 sacks. In my opinion, this is the clear best-supporting cast that any of these four players will play with next season.