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          NFL Nation

          Jets DL Leonard Williams belongs in conversation for rookie award

          • Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 5, 2016, 08:00 AM ET
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              Rich Cimini is a staff writer who covers the New York Jets and the NFL at ESPN. Rich has covered the Jets for over 30 years, joining ESPN in 2010. Rich also hosts the Flight Deck podcast. He previously was a beat writer for the New York Daily News and is a graduate of Syracuse University. You can follow him via Twitter @RichCimini.
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          On Saturday night, the NFL will host its annual honors show, a made-for-TV event (naturally) in which the awards for the top players and coaches will be handed out. As usual, the Associated Press conducted the voting. Typically, the show includes a lot of bad jokes and too much J.J. Watt, who has made a career of individual awards and TV commercials.

          The New York Jets aren't expected to win any of the headline awards, although Leonard Williams has generated some buzz as a candidate for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (won by Sheldon Richardson in 2013). Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters (eight interceptions, two touchdowns) and Bills cornerback Ronald Darby (14 pass breakups) are the favorites.

          Peters probably will win it even though it was an inconsistent season, because he made a lot of flashy plays. Williams didn't, but he was a solid rookie performer from Day 1, stepping into a full-time position on the defensive line. Here are a couple of factoids, courtesy of ESPN Stats and Information, that underscore his rookie year:

          * Williams played 779 defensive snaps, the third-most among defensive tackles. The top two were Ndamukong Suh (917) and Aaron Donald (862).

          * The Jets' defense was better with Williams on the field. They allowed 4.8 yards per play when he was in the lineup, and 5.9 yards when he wasn't. That's a significant difference.