One month of the 2025 NFL season is already in the books, setting the initial scene for the year-end NFL Awards. Of them, the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award is quickly shaping up to be the most competitive.
While many of the top offensive rookies have yet to find much success, it has been a different story for their defensive counterparts. Highly touted pass-rushers Abdul Carter and Mason Graham have seemingly discovered their rhythms, while secondary defenders, such as Will Johnson and Andrew Mukuba, have held their own on the back end.
In 2024, the award went to Los Angeles Rams defensive end Jared Verse, who ended the year with 66 tackles, 12 stuffs and 4.5 sacks. Verse was not in the conversation early, but rode a strong second half of the season to claim the award.
It has only been a month, leaving ample time for late bloomers to enter the conversation. But for now, a few standouts are clearly leading the way.
Honorable mentions: LB Jihaad Campbell (Eagles), CB Will Johnson (Cardinals), DE Mykel Williams (49ers), LB Jalon Walker (Falcons)
5. DT Mason Graham, Cleveland Browns
Even after a down year, Michigan was still well-represented in the 2025 NFL Draft. Mason Graham led the way, going No. 5 overall to the Cleveland Browns, and has been delivering on all expectations. Although, shoutout to Graham's former teammate Will Johnson, who would be in this conversation if injuries had not slowed him down.
Graham has started each of the Browns' first four games, tallying 11 tackles, one tackle for loss, seven pressures, two quarterback hits and 0.5 sacks. Graham has earned a 61.0 player grade from Pro Football Focus thus far, ranking near the league average for interior defensive linemen.
He struggled in Week 4 against the Detroit Lions' elite offensive line, but Graham had a field day against the Green Bay Packers in Week 3. He recorded an absurd 43 percent pass-rush win rate against the Packers, according to ESPN's Seth Walder, soaring above the league-average rate of nine percent.
Developing consistency will be the key to Graham's season-long success. He has been as advertised so far, but has been overshadowed by the drama surrounding the Browns' other star rookies.
4. S Andrew Mukuba, Philadelphia Eagles
Many fans were shocked when the Philadelphia Eagles traded C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans for reserve offensive lineman Kenyon Green. It turns out that they were just making room for Andrew Mukuba.
Mukuba has started each of the Eagles' first four games and has more than held his own on the back end. Mukuba has 19 tackles through the first month and has anchored a Philadelphia defense that allows the lowest completion percentage in the league.
While he has occasionally struggled in pass coverage, Mukuba has already been elite as a run stopper. Some scouts had concerns about his 186-pound frame coming out of college, but so far, the Texas alum has an elite 85.3 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus, the sixth-best among all safeties in the league.
The Eagles' defense lost a significant amount of production in the offseason, but their secondary is extremely promising, with Mukuba joining Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean to form an exciting young core.
3. CB Jacob Parrish, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' secondary has been limited early in the 2025 season, with Jamel Dean, Christian Izien and Benjamin Morrison all missing time. The team expected Morrison, its second-round pick, to be an immediate contributor, but it has instead been Jacob Parrish stepping up to the plate.
With Morrison entering the 2025 NFL Draft with some hype as a potential dark horse first-round pick, the Buccaneers' selection of Parrish flew under the radar. But after four games, it is difficult to identify a rookie cornerback who has played better than him.
Parrish has played 113 coverage snaps through the first month, per PFF. He has allowed 10 catches and just six yards per reception, both ranking in the top half of the league.
Parrish has been the Buccaneers' full-time starting nickelback from Week 1, and he is already looking like one of the league's elite slot defenders. His 79.4 PFF player grade ranks 10th among 165 eligible cornerbacks.
2. OLB Abdul Carter, New York Giants
Abdul Carter might not have the elite numbers yet, but those are undoubtedly coming soon. He has just 0.5 sacks through four weeks, but he has been one of the most versatile defenders in the league.
When the Giants lost linebacker Micah McFadden, their leading tackler in 2024, they responded by moving Carter to middle linebacker. He has since split his snaps; through four games, Carter has played 147 snaps on the line and 60 off the ball.
Carter struggled in Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs, when the Giants used him primarily as a middle linebacker. However, once he moved back to edge-rusher full-time, Carter made his presence felt in Week 4, recording eight pressures and five quarterback hits against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Through the chaos, Carter has a 71.9 PFF player grade through the first month, ranking well above the average for edge-rushers. With Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux currently on pace for career years, the Giants potentially have three elite pass-rushers on their roster.
1. LB Carson Schwesinger, Cleveland Browns
Carson Schwesinger was not one of the big names entering the 2025 NFL Draft, but he has been the best rookie defender through the first month of the season. He does not get the media attention that he deserves, but Schwesinger has been one of the best overall players thus far.
The Browns enter Week 4 with a meager 1-3 record, but to no fault of their defense. Star pass-rusher Myles Garrett receives most of the credit for the team's defensive success, but Schwesinger has been an equal part of it.
Without star linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, the Browns put a lot of weight on Schwesinger's shoulders from Week 1. He has been up to the challenge, playing 226 of the team's 233 defensive snaps while leading Cleveland with 32 tackles, including two for a loss.
Schwesinger has earned an 84.1 PFF player grade after four games, making him the 10th-best linebacker in the league on the site. If the Browns figure out a way to turn their season around, Schwesinger will have as much to do with it as Dillon Gabriel.
