2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year odds released after NFL Draft

You kind of felt sorry for the defenders last Thursday night when the NFL kicked off the first round of the draft. That’s because it was all offense until pick No. 15.

So take a bow Laiatu Latu. The Colts made you the first defender in the NFL Draft. But Latu, the ace pass rusher from UCLA, isn’t the favorite to win NFL rookie of the year honors. Rather, oddsmakers from DraftKings are going with Alabama’s Dallas Turner, who also makes a living chasing quarterbacks. Turner was the third defender selected, going to the Vikings at pick No. 17.

Understand that this is so very preliminary. The rookies don’t even start mini camp until this coming week. Only one first rounder has even signed a contract. But lists of top players and how they rank against each other will keep fans entertained from the draft until the start of training camp. Let’s take a look.

Minnesota Vikings Edge Dallas Turner : +400

So why Turner? Why is he the favorite for defensive rookie of the year? Maybe it’s his school. Last season’s rookie of the year was Will Anderson, the former Crimson Tide star who went No. 3 to the Texans in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Then there’s this detail. The Vikings need to replace Danielle Hunter, who had 16.5 sacks a year ago. Hunter signed a free-agent deal with the Texans. Will Turner get the sack opportunities?

Indianapolis Colts Edge Laiatu Latu: +700

The offensive run to open the NFL Draft truly benefitted the teams with picks in the middle of the first round. Colts GM Chris Ballard was ecstatic that his team was getting college football’s most active pass rusher.

“We didn’t know if he’d get to us,” Chris Ballard said. “I mean, I thought there was a couple spots in the top 10 that he could go. But that run on quarterbacks. When you get lucky enough to get six quarterbacks come off in front of you, we knew we were gonna have a chance to have a pretty good player and one of the best defensive players.”

Philadelphia Eagles CB Quinyon Mitchell: +1000

Mitchell, the star from mid-major Toledo, was the top cornerback selected in the NFL Draft. And he already had an in with Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni. That’s because Sirianni used to work with Jason Candle, Mitchell’s former coach.

“This guy was standing out on our board,” said Philly GM Howie Roseman. “He was the highest-ranked guy. It seems like a pretty easy pick, though the only reason that it was a hard pick was because there’s still a bunch of good players there that we liked that we would have been happy to select.”

LA Rams Edge Jared Verse: +1100

Wow. In selecting Verse, the former Florida State standout, the Rams picked in the first round for the first time since the 2016 NFL Draft. But LA really needed a new defender considering that Aaron Donald retired earlier this year.

Rams coach Sean McVay said Verse will start out as an outside linebacker, but he could be used along the defensive line. Here’s another detail the Rams knew about. At the NFL Combine, Verse tested almost the same as Myles Garrett, the top pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Miami Dolphins Edge Chop Robinson: +1300

The Dolphins discovered this past season that holes on defense can tank a dynamic offense. So Miami used its first, first-round draft pick since 2021 on defense. The Dolphins especially need pass rushers.

In the draft scouting process, Robinson drew comparisons to Micah Parsons, a fellow Nittany Lion who was a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He has all the athleticism, but he’ll need to turn it into production on the pro level.

Detroit Lions CB Terrion Arnold: +1300

The Lions really wanted to bolster their secondary in this year’s draft. It’s why they used their first two picks on cornerbacks, taking Arnold, then Missouri’s Ennis Rakestraw.

But GM Brad Holmes said the Lions didn’t intend to start the NFL Draft with consecutive picks at cornerback. It’s how the board worked out. Given that coach Dan Campbell has turned the Lions into one of the best teams in the NFC, why not bet on one of his rookies to win post-season honors?

Seattle Seahawks DT Byron Murphy II: +1300

Murphy was the first tackle off the board and the first draft pick for new Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald. The coach wanted to emphasize the middle of his defense, so Murphy was the perfect pick. He can play the run and rush the passer. Win, win.

And chances are, the Seahawks would not have been in position to select Murphy if not for the run on offensive players in this year’s NFL Draft. Seattle GM John Schneider thought about trading down. He said no to that whim. “But the player, he was just too good. He influences the game, like a lot.”

Philadelphia Eagles CB Cooper DeJean: +2000

The Eagles were similar to the Lions. They really went big in their secondary. And in DeJean, the former Iowa standout, they landed possibly the most versatile defensive back in the draft.

DeJean likely will see the field first as a safety. And he can be used as a returnman. Roseman revealed that the Eagles thought about selecting him at No. 22. He fell to Philly in the second round.

Baltimore Ravens CB Nate Wiggins: +2200

The Ravens said they turned down eight trade offers from other NFL teams looking to move to the 30th spot. The team said no because they could select Wiggins, who they called the top cover corner in the draft.

“For us, it was always, ‘If Nate [is] there, we [are] going to pick,'” Ravens GM Eric DeCosta told reporters after the pick. “In our opinion, [he’s] a guy that can be a true shutdown-type corner.”

New Orleans Saints CB Kool-Aid McKinstry: +2500

McKinstry is the third Alabama defender to be on the betting list for defensive rookie of the year. While Turner and Arnold were first rounders, McKinstry fell to the 41st pick in the second round. The Saints traded up with the Packers to get him there.

He’ll be able to help the Saints secondary. And he will be available to return punts. So he should be an early contender for DROY.

Best of the rest of NFL Draft contenders for ROY

Arizona Cardinals DE Darrius Robinson: +3000
Green Bay Packers LB Edgerrin Cooper :+3000
New York Giants S Tyler Nubin +3500
Washington Commanders DT Jer’Zhan Newton: +3500
Pittsburgh Steelers LB Payton Wilson: +3500
Washington Commanders CB Mike Sainristil: +3500
Houston Texans CB Kamari Lassiter: +4000
Dallas Cowboys Edge Marshawn Kneeland: +4000

Of course, there’s so much football to be practiced and then played before the NFL picks its top rookie from the 2024 draft class. But you can keep an eye on these players because they caught the oddsmakers’ eye after the draft finished.