Which Rookie Will Have The Most Sacks This Season?

The players from the 2021 NFL Draft who could leave a big imprint on the coming regular season are being evaluated as we speak. Lots of players could emerge from the pool of over 250 prospects picked at the recent draft in Cleveland, but only a handful sit atop the odds list as especially strong challengers for NFL honors or, in this case, a statistical championship.

Who will be the rookie sack king among 2021 NFL Draft prospects? Let’s take a look.

Kwity Paye, Indianapolis Colts: +125

Kwity Paye had a scare before the draft. His heart was red-flagged by NFL medical teams. A large battery of tests was conducted on his heart condition. It turned out that a specific chemical was found near his heart to a degree which is larger than normal. This caused a great deal of concern. However, when further tests and examinations were conducted, it was revealed that there were COVID-19 antibodies in Paye’s blood. This was the explanation for the heightened amounts of chemicals in his blood. Getting this answer enabled various NFL teams to completely clear Paye in terms of medical evaluation. The Colts were satisfied with the tests and evaluations. They took Paye with the No. 21 pick in the first round. If Paye is fully healthy – as a large amount of tests and examinations seem to indicate – there’s little reason to think he won’t be an impact player in Year 1 in Indianapolis under head coach Frank Reich.

Jaelan Phillips, Miami Dolphins: +250

Jaelan Phillips is a Miami Hurricane who stayed in Miami after being drafted by the Dolphins. Defensive end is a natural position for him, but Dolphins head coach Brian Flores could convert Phillips to a linebacker, since he is very fast and has the natural speed which could enable him to cover more ground across the field. If Phillips is converted to linebacker (it’s hard to tell where he will be slotted this season), his odds of leading all rookies in sacks would decrease to an appreciable extent.

Payton Turner, New Orleans Saints: +275

Payton Turner joins a strong Saints defense. He could benefit from the fact that New Orleans has a strong defensive line in which Marcus Davenport and David Onyemata, among others, require a lot of attention from opposing offensive linemen. Yet, a lack of polish might still be an obstacle for Turner in his bid to match Kwity Paye, who rates as the odds-on favorite here.

Gregory Rousseau, Buffalo Bills: +350

Gregory Rousseau was a teammate of Jaelen Phillips on the Miami Hurricanes this past season. Miami’s defense had its moments, but the Hurricanes played an atrocious game against North Carolina late in the season, allowing 62 points to the Tar Heels. It is true that Rousseau could be independently good on a defense which didn’t maximize its talents. Yet, it is hard to shake the idea that Rousseau himself wasn’t as good as he could have been in 2020. This is why he is comparatively lower on the odds list. It also has to be said that the Bills did not have a shutdown defense in 2020. They won primarily because they scored a lot, thanks to Josh Allen.