Good football teams play well on both sides of the ball. The same holds true for us gambling folks. Now that we've previewed Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, it’s time to examine the 2024 AP Defensive Rookie of The Year betting market.
Texans defensive end Will Anderson won the DOPY award last year, but unlike OROY, prognostications for top defensive rookie honors can’t be guided by position since DBs, DEs, LBs and linemen have all won the award in the past decade.
Instead, we'll focus on which rookies are most likely to be impactful. Odds are never riper than before the season kicks off, so let’s get to it!
Best odds to win 2024-25 NFL DROY
In contrast to the OROY market, where there is a clear favorite in Caleb Williams, the top of the DROY odds board is tightly priced, with Vikings' Dallas Turner, Colts' Laiatu Latu, Rams' Jared Verse, Lions' Terrion Arnold, Eagles' Quinyon Mitchell and Seahawks' Byron Murphy II all getting respect from odds makers.
Here are the best odds from top online sportsbooks for DROY candidates:
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Odds and predictions for DROY favorites
Here's a rundown of players with the shortest odds to earn DROY honors for the 2024-25 NFL season.
Laiatu Latu
Laiatu Latu is among the top two favorites to win this award. If he wins DROY, he might need to enlist an Indianapolis-area handyman to build more shelving at the crib, since he already earned the Ted Hendricks and Lombardi Awards with UCLA in 2023. The Colts and odds setters alike think Latu will be a disruptive force. If he comes close to replicating the levels of production he put on the board last season (leading the nation in tackles for loss per game at a gaudy 1.8), it’s not hard to see why he sits where he does on this odds board.
Dallas Turner
"Diamond" Dallas Turner has one of the coolest nicknames out of the 2024 NFL Draft class, but alas there are no NFL rookie awards for that. The Alabama product edge rusher was the SEC co-Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus All-American in 2023, and he beat three-time Pro Bowl tackle Andrus Peat for a sack vs. the Raiders in his preseason debut. Vikings fans and DROY bet placers going with Diamond Dallas both hope this is a sign that Turner is ready to thrive in Brian Flores' defense.
Byron Murphy II
The Seahawks wasted no time in beefing up their defensive line in the offseason, drafting 309-pound defensive end Byron Murphy II out of Texas in the first round. The 2023 Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year will play a big role in Seattle’s efforts to return to their recent glory days of high-impact defensive play that propelled the team to levels of success they’ve struggled to obtain of late. Defensive linemen thrived under new coach Mike Macdonald when he served as the Ravens' defensive coordinator the past two years.
Jared Verse
The Rams' new linebacker has more humble collegiate beginnings than most first-round picks, starting at Albany before transferring to Florida State and becoming a two-time All-American. Verse notched nine sacks last season for the Seminoles, a total that Los Angeles hopes he can recreate in his rookie campaign. The Rams defense ranked 20th overall last season, and there is a Hall of Famer-sized hole with the end of Aaron Donald’s dominant era. Verse and new defensive coordinator Chris Shula have their work cut out for them if they are to improve from their 2023 standing.
Terrion Arnold
The resurgent Lions are looking to build from winning the NFC North last season, their first division crown in 30 years. They are likely to get a lot more than zero from their new No. 0, cornerback Terrion Arnold from Alabama. The 2023 All-American tied atop the SEC with five picks last season, and this ballhawk figures to be an impact player if healthy. Bettors will want to monitor the status of his upper-body injury to ensure he’ll be on the field and contributing from the get-go.
Quinyon Mitchell
The other CB at the bottom of our list of favorites to win DROY is the Eagles' first-round pick, MAC standout Quinyon Mitchell of Toledo. It’s an understatement to say there is room for improvement regarding Philadelphia's 26th-ranked defense from 2023. Innovative and accomplished defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was likely in the GM’s ear about needing more playmakers in the secondary, prompting the franchise to take Mitchell in the first round and Iowa DB Cooper DeJean in the second. Look for both to be deployed in a variety of capacities, including blitzing more often than the average secondary player.