Each season in the NFL, the attention after the NFL Draft is usually fixated on offensive players rather than defenders. But rookies on the defensive side of the ball can be just as impactful as their counterparts on offense. The Defensive Rookie of the Year race is set to be a fascinating one in 2024, after an NFL Draft where the first defensive player was not chosen until the 15th overall pick. Let’s check out the odds from our top NFL sportsbooks and see if we can find a couple of good bets in this futures market.
2024 AP DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD ODDS
Player | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Latu
|
+700 | +600 | +650 | +700 | +470 |
Turner
|
+850 | +400 | +450 | +400 | +430 |
Verse
|
+850 | +1100 | +1000 | +1100 | +1000 |
Mitchell
|
+1000 | +1100 | +950 | +1000 | +1000 |
Arnold
|
+1200 | +1100 | +1000 | +1300 | +1000 |
Murphy II
|
+1300 | +1300 | |||
DeJean
|
+1600 | +1600 | +2000 | +2000 | +2500 |
Robinson
|
+2000 | +2000 | +1600 | +1300 | +2500 |
Murphy
|
+2500 | +1300 | +1400 | +1200 | |
McKinstry
|
+2500 | +2500 | +2800 | +2500 | +3000 |
Wiggins
|
+2500 | +3000 | +1800 | +2200 | +3000 |
Robinson
|
+3000 | +3000 | +3500 | +3000 | +3000 |
Cooper
|
+3000 | +3500 | +3500 | +3000 | +3100 |
Wilson
|
+3000 | +2000 | +3500 | +3500 | +3500 |
Nubin
|
+3000 | +3500 | +5000 | +3500 | +3500 |
Newton
|
+3500 | +3500 | +2200 | +3500 | +3100 |
Lassiter
|
+3500 | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 | +4000 |
Sainristil
|
+3500 | +3500 | +4000 | +3500 | +3000 |
Trice
|
+4000 | +5000 | +4000 | +5000 | +7500 |
Braswell
|
+4000 | +5000 | +4000 | +5000 | +6000 |
Dallas Turner, Minnesota Vikings
The early favorite to win DROY in the NFL is Dallas Turner, who was taken 17th overall by the Minnesota Vikings. Turner played his college football at Alabama, a school known for its physicality up front. If he can bring some of that physicality to a Vikings team that is going through a period of turmoil offensively, he can help stabilize the franchise and win this individual honor while giving the Vikes a chance to get into the postseason.
Laiatu Latu, Indianapolis Colts
The first defensive player taken in this year’s NFL Draft was Laiatu Latu, who was taken 15th overall by the Indianapolis Colts. Latu is another defensive end, which means he will be compared directly to Dallas Turner in this year’s rookie class. He joins a Colts team that just missed out on the postseason last year. If Indy can do enough to get into the playoffs this season, Latu could be a big reason why and he could come away with this honor.
Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams
Another defensive end taken in the middle of the first round of the 2024 draft was Jared Verse out of Florida State. He joins the LA Rams, who have a huge void in the middle of their defensive line thanks to the retirement of Aaron Donald. Verse does not play the same position, and no player could replicate what Donald could do on the field. But if Verse can help the Rams d-line stand tall again in 2024, he could win DROY in the NFL.
Other Defensive Rookie of the Year Candidates
There are so many other players with a genuine chance to win this award this season. Along with the defensive ends listed above, defensive backs like Quinyon Mitchell and Terrion Arnold also have a chance to grab DROY honors from the middle of the first round of this past draft class. And there is always the potential for someone who did not come from the middle of the first round to turn heads and work their way into contention early in the season themselves.
2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Prediction
Our early pick to win the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year is Jared Verse from the Los Angeles Rams. Aside from Verse playing some of his college football for my alma mater, the University at Albany, Verse brings a ton of talent to a defense that could certainly use it. He will make an immediate impact for the Rams as they look to become a more serious threat in the NFC after bowing out in the first round of last year’s postseason.