The rookie quarterbacks have everyone excited, with some confidence that Mayfield, Allen et al will be NFL and fantasy stars in the years to come. But the 2018 NFL Draft produced a couple of elite rookie defenders, too, and those players could also be franchise guys going forward.
Colts linebacker Darius Leonard leads the NFL in tackles, with 12 more than 2nd-place Telvin Smith (who's now played one additional game). Leonard missed a game earlier in the year, just highlighting how impressive his 123 total tackles (and 6 sacks) are.
But Leonard isn't a lock to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, because Cowboys' first-round pick Leighton Vander Esch has been similarly impressive. Vander Esch ranks 5th in the league in total tackles (102) while intercepting 2 passes; he was huge in the upset win over the Saints last Thursday. And he wasn't even a starter the first month of the season.
Going over 100 tackles as a rookie is impressive. Since 2000, only 41 other players have done it; slightly more than 2 per season. Nobody made it there last year. In 2018, though, two have already done it, and there are five more guys who, with four games left in the season, will probably make it to that total. They're included at the bottom of the below table.
100-TACKLE ROOKIES, 2000-PRESENT | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Pos | Solo | Ast | Tot |
2007 | Patrick Willis, S.F. | ILB | 135 | 39 | 174 |
2012 | Luke Kuechly, Car. | MLB | 103 | 61 | 164 |
2013 | Kiko Alonso, Buff. | MLB | 87 | 72 | 159 |
2006 | DeMeco Ryans, Hou. | MLB | 125 | 30 | 155 |
2012 | Bobby Wagner, Sea. | MLB | 87 | 53 | 140 |
2007 | Jon Beason, Car. | MLB | 106 | 34 | 140 |
2012 | Lavonte David, T.B. | OLB | 112 | 27 | 139 |
2014 | C.J. Mosley, Balt. | ILB | 89 | 44 | 133 |
2009 | Brian Cushing, Hou. | OLB | 86 | 47 | 133 |
2008 | Jerod Mayo, N.E. | ILB | 100 | 28 | 128 |
2013 | Paul Worrilow, Atl. | OLB | 79 | 48 | 127 |
2012 | Vontaze Burfict, Cin. | OLB | 73 | 54 | 127 |
2007 | David Harris, NYJ | ILB | 90 | 37 | 127 |
2006 | Ernie Sims, Det. | OLB | 81 | 43 | 124 |
2018 | Darius Leonard, Ind. | OLB | 81 | 42 | 123 |
2010 | T.J. Ward, Clev. | SS | 95 | 28 | 123 |
2009 | James Laurinaitis, St.L. | MLB | 107 | 13 | 120 |
2006 | A.J. Hawk, G.B. | OLB | 82 | 37 | 119 |
2013 | Alec Ogletree, St.L. | OLB | 94 | 23 | 117 |
2005 | Kirk Morrison, Oak. | LB | 91 | 25 | 116 |
2004 | D.J. Williams, Den. | OLB | 81 | 33 | 114 |
2015 | Stephone Anthony, N.O. | MLB | 70 | 42 | 112 |
2015 | Landon Collins, NYG | FS | 84 | 28 | 112 |
2003 | Nick Barnett, G.B. | MLB | 86 | 26 | 112 |
2006 | Thomas Howard, Oak. | OLB | 88 | 22 | 110 |
2014 | Preston Brown, Buff. | OLB | 66 | 43 | 109 |
2016 | Deion Jones, Atl. | MLB | 75 | 33 | 108 |
2014 | Chris Borland, S.F. | ILB | 84 | 24 | 108 |
2004 | Jonathan Vilma, NYJ | MLB | 77 | 30 | 107 |
2016 | Keanu Neal, Atl. | SS | 72 | 34 | 106 |
2005 | Kerry Rhodes, NYJ | SS | 85 | 20 | 105 |
2014 | Telvin Smith, Jac. | ILB | 72 | 32 | 104 |
2013 | Johnathan Cyprien, Jac. | SS | 87 | 17 | 104 |
2012 | Harrison Smith, Minn. | FS | 74 | 30 | 104 |
2006 | Donte Whitner, Buff. | SS | 67 | 37 | 104 |
2005 | Lofa Tatupu, Sea. | MLB | 85 | 19 | 104 |
2004 | Madieu Williams, Cin. | FS | 86 | 17 | 103 |
2018 | Leighton Vander Esch, Dall | OLB | 77 | 25 | 102 |
2004 | Teddy Lehman, Det. | OLB | 75 | 27 | 102 |
2003 | Mike Doss, Ind. | SS | 73 | 29 | 102 |
2010 | Alterraun Verner, Tenn. | CB | 85 | 16 | 101 |
2004 | Erik Coleman, NYJ | FS | 73 | 27 | 100 |
2002 | Chris Cash, Det. | CB | 87 | 13 | 100 |
2018 | Fred Warner, S.F. | MLB | 66 | 26 | 92 |
2018 | Roquan Smith, Chi. | ILB | 68 | 23 | 91 |
2018 | Jessie Bates, Cin. | FS | 59 | 28 | 87 |
2018 | Tremaine Edmunds, Buff. | MLB | 56 | 26 | 82 |
2018 | Derwin James, LAC | FS | 56 | 25 | 81 |
Can Leonard catch Patrick Willis (174) for the top total this century? Probably not; he'd need to average 13 tackles in his final four games to do it. But he'll almost certainly finish in the top 5.
--Andy Richardson