5 NFC North Defensive ROY Candidates

After a less-than-stellar season from NFC North defenses, all four teams decided to make an attempt in adding a playmaker on that side of the ball through the draft. Many veterans also left their teams in the offseason, and some even switched their alliances in the North, including Julius Peppers, Jared Allen, and Willie Young.  Due to the mismatches that players like Calvin Johnson and Adrian Peterson create, it's especially important for the NFC North to find the best defensive players out there, and here's five rookies that could end up making a difference in 2014.

Kyle Fuller- CB, Chicago Bears

With Charles Tillman quickly sliding towards the end of his potential Hall of Fame career, Chicago needed someone to play opposite of Tim Jennings for the long-haul, and they wasted no time with that by selecting Kyle Fuller with the 14th overall selection.  Fuller may have been the best man-to-man corner in the draft, and Jon Gruden even compared him to Tillman, which is something Bears fans should get excited about.  Also, his 40 time of 4.38 proves that he can run with some of the fastest receivers in the division, like Randall Cobb and Cordarrelle Patterson.

Anthony Barr- LB, Minnesota Vikings

Honestly, I was a little surprised when Minnesota selected Barr with the 9th overall pick.  It's not that I don't think he was worthy of a top-10 pick (I was one of the few that actually did), it's that I thought he would fit more as an outside linebacker in a 3-4.  However, with Mike Zimmer at coach, it looks like Barr will be an OLB in the 4-3.  Once again, I'm not sure that's his natural position, but if he becomes as skilled as Von Miller, who can virtually play anywhere on defense, it won't matter which position he is at.  Also, it doesn't hurt that Zimmer is a defensive guru and has developed some of the best defenders in the league, including DeMarcus Ware.

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix- S, Green Bay Packers

If you can remember correctly, the last guy to where number 21 in the secondary for Green Bay was one of the best, so Ha Ha already has something to prove.  As the second of four safeties taken in the first round, Clinton-Dix spent his college tenure with the Alabama Crimson Tide, which has consistently been touted as one of the best defenses in the nation.  Now with the Packers, Clinton-Dix will most likely be competing to start at safety with Micah Hyde, who had a promising rookie year in 2013.  Whether it's now or later, Ha Ha could be the first Packers safety since Nick Collins to earn a spot in the Pro Bowl.

Kyle Van Noy- DE, Detroit Lions

During the Senior Bowl, Van Noy was asked what it would be like to play with former BYU teammate Ziggy Ansah in the NFL.  Van Noy responded by saying, "Dude, I'm not even kidding. That would be awesome."  Yeah, this is awesome for the Lions, but not for the rest of the teams in the North.  There was a chance that Van Noy might have been picked late in the first round, but he slipped to the Lions with the 8th pick in the second round.  I know that he's the fourth player on this list (this is in no particular order), but he's my early pick to be the Defensive Rookie of the Year for the NFC North... if there was such an award.

Ego Ferguson- DT, Chicago Bears

A perfect name for a Chicago Bear, right?  Sorry about that, I had to say something.  All kidding aside, this 309 lb. defensive tackle started 12 games for LSU last season, which helped him become Chicago's 2nd round pick.  He didn't show too much flash in college, but if you know me well, you know that I like defensive players from the SEC.  SEC teams (Alabama, Auburn, Florida among others) look and play the most like teams in the NFL, offensively and defensively.  I'm not sure how much playing time Ferguson will get in his first season, but the Bears have a bit of a need at defensive tackle, so there's a chance that he could fill that void.