The National Football League’s Defensive Rookie of the Year named by the Associated Press and selected each year by a nationwide panel of media:
2025 — Carson Schwesinger, LB, Cleveland
The National Football League’s Defensive Rookie of the Year named by the Associated Press and selected each year by a nationwide panel of media:
2025 — Carson Schwesinger, LB, Cleveland
2024 — Jared Verse, Edge, Los Angeles Rams
2023 — Will Anderson, DE, Houston
2022 — Sauce Gardner, DB, New York Jets
2021 — Micah Parsons, LB, Dallas
2020 — Chase Young, Edge, Washington
2019 — Nick Bosa, Edge, San Francisco
2018 — Darius Leonard, LB, Indianapolis
2017 — Marshon Lattimore, CB, New Orleans
2016 — Joey Bosa, DE, San Diego
2015 — Marcus Peters, Kansas City, CB
2014 — Aaron Donald, St. Louis, DT
2013 — Sheldon Richardson, New York Jets, DT
2012 — Luke Kuechly, Carolina, LB
2011 — Von Miller, Denver, LB
2010 — Ndamukong Suh, Detroit, DT
2009 — Brian Cushing, Houston, LB
2008 — Jerod Mayo, New England, LB
2007 — Patrick Willis, San Francisco, LB
2006 — DeMeco Ryans, Houston, LB
2005 — Shawne Merriman, San Diego, LB
2004 — Jonathan Vilma, New York Jets, LB
2003 — Terrell Suggs, Baltimore, LB
2002 — Julius Peppers, Carolina, DE
2001 — Kendrell Bell, Pittsburgh, LB
2000 — Brian Urlacher, Chicago, LB
1999 — Jevon Kearse, Tennessee, DE
1998 — Charles Woodson, Oakland, CB
1997 — Peter Boulware, Baltimore, LB
1996 — Simeon Rice, Arizona, DE
1995 — Hugh Douglas, New York Jets, DE
1994 — Tim Bowens, Miami, DT
1993 — Dana Stubblefield, San Francisco, DT
1992 — Dale Carter, Kansas City, CB
1991 — Mike Croel, Denver, LB
1990 — Mark Carrier, Chicago, S
1989 — Derrick Thomas, Kansas City, LB
1988 — Erik McMillan, N.Y. Jets, S
1987 — Shane Conlan, Buffalo, LB
1986 — John Offerdahl, Miami, LB
1985 — Duane Bickett, Indianapolis, LB
1984 — Bill Maas, Kansas City, NT
1983 — Vernon Maxwell, Baltimore, LB
1982 — Chip Banks, Cleveland, LB
1981 — Lawrence Taylor, N.Y. Giants, LB
1980 — Buddy Curry, Atlanta, LB, and Al Richardson, Atlanta, LB
1979 — Jim Haslett, Buffalo, LB
1978 — Al Baker, Detroit, DE
1977 — A.J. Duhe, Miami, DT
1976 — Mike Haynes, New England, S
1975 — Robert Brazile, Houston, LB
1974 — Jack Lambert, Pittsburgh, LB
1973 — Wally Chambers, Chicago, DT
1972 — Willie Buchanon, Green Bay, CB
1971 — Isiah Robertson, Los Angeles, LB
1970 — Bruce Taylor, San Francisco, CB
1969 — Joe Greene, Pittsburgh, DT
1968 — Claude Humphrey, Atlanta, DE
1967 — Lem Barney, Detroit, CB
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
You’ve likely known your closest friends for years — but when was the last time you met some… Read moreMaking Friends in Your 60s and Beyond
Exclusive film screening in San Mateo Read moreA LITTLE FELLOW: THE LEGACY OF A.P.GIANNINI
LaurieHietter said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.