NFL best bets: NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year odds, post NFL Draft

The NFL Draft is over, and now we turn to the 2023 season. Yesterday we highlighted the best bets for Offensive Rookie of the Year, and now we turn our attention to the defensive side of the football.

The Defensive Rookie of the Year is far more evenly dispersed to positions compared to the offensive counterpart, making this an intriguing list to parse through.

CB Sauce Gardner brought home the win here last year, the third corner in the past eight years to win. Defensive linemen and edge-rushers tend to do well here, as five have won since 2013. It’s been a bit quieter overall, but linebackers have taken home DROY honors 13 times since 2000. The fact we have no LBs among the top 10 here shows how the league values the position now compared to the early 2000s.

Favorites to win Defensive Rookie of the Year

Odds are courtesy of DraftKings.

1. Will Anderson Jr., EDGE, Houston (+350)
2. Jalen Carter, DT, Philadelphia (+800)
3. Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Las Vegas (+800)
4. Devon Witherspoon, CB, Seattle (+900)
5. Christian Gonzalez, CB, New England (+1000)
6. Lukas Van Ness, DL, Green Bay (+1200)
7. Emmanuel Forbes, CB, Washington (+1400)
8. Nolan Smith, EDGE, Philadelphia (+1600)
9. Myles Murphy, EDGE, Cincinnati (+2000)
10. Joey Porter Jr., CB, Pittsburgh (+2000)

Will Anderson Jr. will slot in immediately as a pivotal piece of this Texans defense, and new Head Coach DeMeco Ryans will be tasked with unlocking the best out of the former Alabama star. Anderson is well-positioned to have a strong rookie year off the bat, and if he can touch double-digit sacks it’s hard to imagine this award going to anyone else.