AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Voting

By Canadian Press on February 5, 2026.

The top five in voting for the 2025 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year selected by The Associated Press in balloting by a nationwide panel of media with total points and first-place votes. Voters ranked players one through five with scoring on a 10-5-3-2-1 basis:

Carson Schwesinger, Cleveland: 441 points (40 first-place votes)

Nick Emmanwori, Seattle: 199 (7)

James Pearce Jr., Atlanta: 173 (2)

Xavier Watts, Atlanta: 102 (1)

Abdul Carter, New York Giants: 72

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

The Associated Press