Tariq Woolen and Ken Walker III should have been Rookies of the Year
At the NFL Honors, the New York Jets had plenty of reason to start spreadin’ the news. Cornerback Sauce Gardner and wide receiver Garrett Wilson took home defensive and offensive Rookie of the Year awards. The Jets become the third team in NFL history, alongside the 1967 Lions and 2017 Saints, to sweep these awards.
But should they have?
Make no mistake, Gardner and Wilson are remarkable young players. The future is bright for the Jets with these two to help build an impressive nucleus. What I am saying, however, is there is also another pair of remarkable young players on the opposite coast.
Running back Kenneth Walker III and corner Tariq Woolen should have been the pair to take home these awards, or at the very least, one of them.
Wilson only had 24 more total yards than Walker, despite playing in two more games than him. Walker also outscored Wilson with nine touchdowns to only four for the former Buckeye. In my opinion, of the two pairs, Walker had the stronger case for taking the award over the Jets rookie.
While Walker may have had an easier case, let’s not discount how impressive Woolen was. Woolen was not far behind Gardner in many stats, but outdid him in the two that matter the most: Woolen was tied for the league lead with six interceptions, compared to Gardner’s two. Woolen also managed to take one of those home for a touchdown, something Gardner did not accomplish in 2022.
