NFL Rookie of the Year 2024 Best Odds & Predictions For Offensive & Defensive Awards

Rookies are kind of like puppies.

Everything is new and exciting to them. They’re filled with boundless energy. Sometimes they jump on the table and eat your bacon if you step away.

You know what that means: You’re going to need to bring home the bacon. Again.

Let us try to help you out. Based on current odds from BetMGM, here are a handful of best bets on both sides of the ball to win rookie of the year.

Offensive Rookie of the Year Best Odds

1.     Caleb Williams (+125)

The No. 1 overall pick in this spring’s NFL draft is the heavy favorite to capture Offensive Rookie of the Year. It’s easy to understand why. Williams should step in as the Week 1 starter for the Bears, who have built an impressive group around him. 

Veteran receivers D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen provide dependable targets, and fellow first-round pick Rome Odunze already has developed a bond with Williams during the offseason. If Williams lives up to the hype, Chicago might put his statue in the middle of Michigan Avenue.

2.     Marvin Harrison Jr. (+750)

Harrison provides better value than Williams, and he has a real chance to win the award. He was dominant at Ohio State, and he should immediately become the top target for Kyler Murray in Arizona. First down, second down, third down – he’s not a bad guy on whom to put your money down.

3.     Xavier Worthy (+2000)

Here is more of a boom-or-bust dart throw. Here is what makes Worthy appealing: He has blazing speed, and he joins a Chiefs offense that features a Hall of Fame quarterback and a big opportunity for someone, anyone, literally anyone at all, for the love of Dwayne Bowe, to seize the No. 1 wideout job. Time will tell if Xavier is, um, worthy. (Sorry.)

4.     Keon Coleman (+2600)

Coleman is another talented wideout who is joining forces with a top quarterback. Buffalo said goodbye to Stefon Diggs, and Josh Allen is looking for a new best friend in the passing game. Could a big rookie year be in store?

5.     Trey Benson (+7500)

It’s fun to include at least one distant longshot on this list. The Cardinals selected Benson in the third round (No. 66 overall) out of Florida State, and it’s not crazy to envision his big-play ability leading to the starting job. There were teams at the NFL Scouting Combine who said Benson was the best back in the draft. 

Defensive Rookie of the Year Best Odds

1.     Dallas Turner (+430)

Turner was widely regarded as the top pass-rushing prospect in this year’s draft. He joins a Vikings team that loves to blitz in the same way that Garfield loves lasagna. Danielle Hunter left for the Texans, and Turner has a chance to sprint off the edge again and again in 2024.

2.     Laiatu Latu (+430)

Here’s another edge rusher who could put up big sack totals as a rookie. Latu racked up 23 1/2 sacks in his last two seasons in college, and the Colts will give him a prominent role after selecting him in the first round. The big question with Latu is health.

3.     Jared Verse (+1000)

Third verse, same as the first (two): The former Florida State pass rusher dropped to the No. 19 overall pick, which probably made him a bit salty, but he ended up in a great situation with the Rams. He shined with the Seminoles last season, finishing with nine sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss.

4.     Quinyon Mitchell (+1200)

As Cris Collinsworth might say, now here’s a guy! who can flat-out play in the secondary. Mitchell led the nation with 20 pass breakups in 2022, but he plummeted all the way to second place in the nation with 18 pass breakups in 2023. 

What we’re trying to say here is that he is sticky in pass coverage, and he landed in a great spot on a talented Eagles defense.

5.     Terrion Arnold (+1200)

One of the best moments of the draft, which took place in Detroit, was when the hometown Lions selected Arnold at No. 24 overall. The former Alabama cornerback took the microphone during an interview with NFL Network, turned to the crowd and declared: “Detroit, you all got a star, man.” 

Confidence can take you places.