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 | Defensive Rookie of the Year Odds |
| Jared Verse | -4000 |
| Quinyon Mitchell | +900 |
Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams
One defensive end taken in the middle of the first round of the 2024 draft was Jared Verse out of Florida State. He joined 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 Verse has been impactful throughout the first year of his pro career and has made himself the odds-on favorite to win this award with his production.
Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles put a lot of their eggs into the basket of young defensive backs this season. So far that decision has paid off, as Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean have both made an impact in their first seasons as pros. Mitchell is in the mix to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, despite the fact that Verse is a heavy favorite to take it instead.
Other Defensive Rookie of the Year Candidates
At this point, there are no other players who are serious contenders to win this award in the NFL betting markets. The odds are way too long for anyone else to realistically win this award, as it should come down to Verse and Mitchell. Expect one of those two names to be called when NFL individual honors are handed out at the end of the year.
2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Prediction
Our 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 has made 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.
