Jets rookie cornerback Sauce Gardner and receiver Garrett Wilson made their team and city proud during NFL Honors on Thursday night by taking home the 2023 Defensive and Lffensive Rookie of the Year awards.
With the wins, Gardner and Wilson—the fourth and 10th picks in last year’s draft—joined an exclusive group of award winners as just the third set of teammates to sweep rookie DPOY and OPOY. The last duo to accomplish the feat were Saints running back Alvin Kamara and cornerback Marshon Lattimore in 2018, with the other instance taking place in 1967 with wins by Lions CB Lem Barney and RB Mel Farr.
This year’s winners were selected using a new format that allowed voters to select a first, second and third place winner (5-3-1 basis). Wilson received 156 total votes (18-19-9), with second place going to Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker with 129 votes, even though he earned more first place votes (19-8-10). Meanwhile, Gardner won in a landslide with 242 votes (46-4-0), with Lions pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson finishing second at 129 votes (3-35-9).
