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 2023. With multiple pass rushers and a defensive back taken in the top-10, and several quality players drafted just after them, this award could go in any number of directions.
Let’s check out the odds from our top NFL sportsbooks and see if we can find a couple good bets.
2023 AP DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD ODDS
| Player |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Carter
|
+200 | +210 | +225 | +190 | +210 |
|
Anderson
|
+475 | +500 | +450 | +430 | |
|
Gonzalez
|
+1200 | +900 | +600 | +850 | +750 |
|
Branch
|
+2000 | +2000 | +1600 | +2000 | +1600 |
|
Forbes
|
+2000 | +2000 | +1500 | +2000 | +3000 |
|
Van Ness
|
+2000 | +2000 | +2200 | +2500 | +2600 |
|
Wilson
|
+2000 | +2000 | +1800 | +2500 | +3000 |
|
Witherspoon
|
+2500 | +2500 | +3000 | +2500 | +1600 |
|
Campbell
|
+2500 | +2500 | +2500 | +3000 | +2600 |
|
McDonald IV
|
+2500 | +3000 | +2500 | +2500 | +6000 |
|
Bennett
|
+2800 | +2800 | +10000 | ||
|
Pace
|
+3000 | +2000 | |||
|
Pace Jr.
|
+3000 | +3000 | |||
|
Benton
|
+3000 | +3000 | |||
|
White
|
+3000 | +2500 | +2800 | +3000 | +4000 |
|
Smith
|
+3000 | +3000 | +3000 | +3000 | +5000 |
|
Kancey
|
+3500 | +3500 | +3000 | +4000 | +5000 |
|
Banks
|
+3500 | +3000 | +4000 | +5000 | +5000 |
|
Anudike-Uzomah
|
+3500 | +3000 | +3000 | +3000 | +3400 |
|
Smith
|
+4000 | +4000 | +4000 | +6000 |
Will Anderson, Houston Texans
An early favorite to win the 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year award is Will Anderson of the Houston Texans. Anderson hit double digits in sacks in each of his final two seasons as a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide defense. This season, he is tasked with injecting some life into a Texans defense that finished in the bottom-six in points allowed in 2022, and any improvement from that defense will be attributed to Anderson.
Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles had one of the best defenses in the NFL last season, and it could get even better with Jalen Carter added into the mix. Carter helped the Georgia Bulldogs win back to back national championships over the last couple of seasons. His ability to anchor the interior of a defensive line will only help an Eagles defense that is already so good at generating pressure from the edges.
Tyree Wilson, Las Vegas Raiders
A great situational fit from the last NFL Draft was the addition of Tyree Wilson to the Las Vegas Raiders. He is set to play defensive end on a team that already has an elite defensive end in Maxx Crosby. That will prevent opposing offenses from over-protecting against Wilson, which could result in some gaudy sack numbers for the rookie.
Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks
The top defensive back in the list of Defensive Rookie of the Year favorites is Seattle’s Devon Witherspoon. Despite playing on a miserable Illinois team, Witherspoon helped make their defense into a respectable one. Now he has the job of attempting to do the same in Seattle, though the run defense of the Seahawks could undermine Witherspoon’s efforts in pass defense.
Christian Gonzalez, New England Patriots
Defensive back Christian Gonzalez will play his first season as a pro under Bill Belichick as a member of the New England Patriots. Gonzalez spent his collegiate career in the Pac-12 with Colorado and Oregon. Now, he will ply his craft under some of the best defensive coaches in the history of the sport, and it will be fascinating to see if he can elevate his game enough to win DROY honors.
2023 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Prediction
Our pick to win Defensive Rookie of the Year going into the 2023 season is Tyree Wilson of the Las Vegas Raiders. He should be able to rack up some sack numbers right from the start this season, as he joins a Raiders defense that already has a quality pass rush. Look for Wilson to be an instant contender for this award and to help the Raiders become a little tougher to score against.
