The Falcons Rookie of the Year award goes to...

The DW

Rookie of the Year: Vic Beasley

Given the selection this year - Beasley, Collins, Coleman, Hardy and Jarrett - I think you can make a case for either Jarrett or Beasley. While Beasley's numbers weren't what we all hoped they would be, he did show us his ability to disrupt on several occasions. Teams also showed respect for what Beasley could do, often providing TE and RB help on the left side earlier in the year. The Falcons can help the young pass rusher out tremendously by adding some additional pass rushing help this offseason. While it wasn't an "impressive" season, Beasley showed enough to be encouraged about his long-term potential.

Scott Carasik

Rookie of the Year: Grady Jarrett

Vic Beasley changed the defense as a whole with his ability to rush off the edge, but Grady Jarrett had a much more productive season for the Falcons despite being a more rotational player. His penetration behind the line to create tackles for loss against the run early in the season earned him more playing time later in the year. With a year under his belt, Jarrett should be able to be one of the main cogs in the defensive tackle rotation for 2016.

Dave Choate

Rookie of the Year: Grady Jarrett

Vic Beasley played more snaps and probably had more of an impact overall, but he was limited by a labrum injury and had a middling rookie year as a result, even if I genuinely appreciate some of the big plays he authored. Jarrett, meanwhile, was one of the league's most effective defensive tackles on a per-snap basis and should be a tremendous asset for the defense going forward.

Caleb Rutherford

Rookie of the Year: Vic Beasley

I think I called Grady Jarrett's name a little more often than Beasley's, but there were several instances where Beasley was the only guy on the defensive line doing anything. He had a fantastic game against Carolina and had a strong game against the Vikings as well. He gets held and/or double teamed more often than you might think. There's a reason he was one of the best rookie pass rushers in spite of only having 4 sacks. He impacts the game; just wait until those sack numbers come into their own next year.

Allen Strk

Rookie of the Year: Vic Beasley

If Beasley didn't strip Cam Newton, Grady Jarrett would have been my likely choice. Jarrett was more consistent by making several stops against the run. He was one of the lone bright spots during that dreadful losing streak. Unfortunately for Jarrett, his snaps were limited for the most part. Beasley made several plays against Carolina in the second half. He played a pivotal role during Atlanta's run of sweeping the entire NFC East. Beating Tyron Smith on the edge was a memorable moment, especially on third down. Beasley made enough impact plays to solidify himself for this spot. It was an underwhelming rookie season, but there were enough glimpses that should make fans optimistic about him replacing John Abraham's big shoes on the edge.

Matthew Chambers

Rookie of the Year: Grady Jarrett

He is the easy decision. He impressed early and easily outperformed his draft slot. While other players look to need another season or two of development (looks at Jalen Collins), Jarrett looks to already be ready for the pro game.

Kendall Jackson

Rookie of the Year: Grady Jarrett

Vic Beasley had his moments (the game-ending strip-sack of Cam Newton in Week 16), but he disappeared for large stretches of the season. Of course, he was playing with a torn labrum, so that undoubtedly had an impact. Grady Jarrett, in his limited snaps, made quite an impact. He was pegged by many as the steal of the draft, and if his rookie showing is an early indication of how his career will turn out, the Falcons got tremendous value in the fifth round.