Garrett Wilson wins AP NFL Offensive Rookie of Year
COLUMBUS — Garrett Wilson terrorized opposing defenses for three years at Ohio State.
Not much changed once he got to the NFL, and he is already being honored early in his pro career.
Wilson won the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award on Tuesday night following a stellar first campaign in the NFL. The Jets star receiver beat out Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III for the award.
Wilson is the first former Buckeyes player to win Offensive Rookie of the Award since Eddie George did it in 1996. Another running back, former Ohio State star John Brockington, won the award in 1971. Wilson is the first former Ohio State wide receiver to take home the hardware.
Ohio State is no stranger to having rookies of the year, but Wilson is the first on offense since Eddie George. The Buckeyes have seen four AP Defensive Rookies of the Year since 2016: Joey Bosa, Marshon Lattimore, Nick Bosa and Chase Young all won the award in their respective rookie seasons.
Wilson’s former Ohio State teammate Chris Olave finished fourth in voting for the award, receiving five first-place votes. He finished behind Wilson, Walker and 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
Wilson finished his rookie season with 83 catches for 1,103 yards and four receiving touchdowns, all despite the Jets going through turmoil at the quarterback position. That didn’t slow Wilson down from becoming the top rookie in his class, even after being selected as the second receiver taken in the draft. Former USC and current Falcons wide receiver Drake London was taken two picks before Wilson with the No. 8 overall pick.
Just one year into his career, Garrett Wilson is already proving that was a mistake by the Falcons — and a smart decision by the Jets. He is the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Former Buckeyes DE Nick Bosa wins AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year
Former Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa was named AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday night after leading the league with 18.5 sacks during the 2022 season for San Francisco 49ers. Bosa is the second Buckeyes alum to win the award. The first was Denver Broncos linebacker Randy Gradishar in 1978.
Bosa received 46-of-50 first-place votes. Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons (101 voting points) was the runner-up for the award, but Parsons didn’t get a single first-place vote. The other first-place votes went to Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones (56 voting points, one first-place vote), Philadelphia Eagles edge rusher Haason Reddick (two first-place votes) and New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (one first-place vote).
Bosa’s 18.5 sacks were good for a career high. His previous best was 15.5 sacks last season. Bosa was a focal point of a 49ers defense that was No. 1 in the NFL in both scoring defense (16.3 points per game allowed) and total defense (300.6 total yards per game allowed).
