As the New Orleans Saints’ first-round pick, Marshon Lattimore has dazzled this season and made a case for being the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year.
In 2017, the New Orleans Saints truly hit the jackpot in the draft. Not only did they get some studs in early rounds, but snagged some in later rounds too. One of the best drafts in recent memory also produced a lot of standout, albeit underrated, stars.
While there’s already been a case made for Alvin Kamara, they also have a standout on the defensive side of the ball. There’s no way to not make a case for Marshon Lattimore as the Defensive Rookie of the Year. As the Saints first-round pick in 2017, Lattimore has exceeded all expectations and seemingly become their go-to guy on defense.
Before anyone says anything, Cameron Jordan is still their guy on defense. Lattimore just brings something else to the team. While he’s still young and somewhat inexperienced, Lattimore has played against some big names. He’s shut down the likes of Julio Jones, Brandin Cooks and Davante Adams.
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Lattimore is able to hold his own and make plays when necessary. In addition to being a shutdown corner, he’s been getting takeaways, too. So far this season, Lattimore has managed to snag three interceptions, a forced fumble and 39 combined tackles.
He’s been everything the Saints have hoped for and more. What Lattimore has truly brought to the Saints is a new era in their defense. Last season, their defense was one of the worst. This season, however, they’ve become one of the most feared.
Not all credit goes to Lattimore for that, but he’s been a huge part of it. Obviously, he’s made some rookie mistakes, but Lattimore has played consistently and learned from his mistakes. It’s strange to think that teams were afraid of his lack of experience and history of injury.
The only sore spot with Lattimore this season has been injuries. He has unfortunately missed some time due to injury. Despite that, Lattimore has truly been a much-needed presence and not having him out there has been felt.
That’s one of the very few reasons against considering Lattimore as Defensive Rookie of the Year. Sure, there are other names to throw into the conversation such as T.J. Watt, Tre’Davious White and even Lattimore’s teammate, Marcus Williams. Those guys are as good as Lattimore so truly it’s up for grabs.
With how much adversity Lattimore has overcome this season and how quickly he made an impact, there’s no way he’s out of the conversation. Making the case for Lattimore is easy and making a case against him is tough, for me at least.
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Even if Lattimore doesn’t win Defensive Rookie of the Year, the impact he’s making is something no award can touch. Playing at the level he does and the time he has for improvement, we could be talking Defensive Player of the Year next season. Regardless, Lattimore has more than proven himself a worthy candidate for the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.