2024-25 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Odds: Dallas Turner Favored

With the 2024 NFL Draft in the books, football fans can already bet on who will win both NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year next season. After last week’s draft saw a record 14 offensive players drafted before UCLA defensive end Laiatu Latu became the first defensive player taken at No. 15 by the Indianapolis Colts, the Defensive Rookie of the Year race appears wide-open.

Dating back to 2019, when San Francisco 49ers DE Nick Bosa won the award, a pass rusher has been named Defensive Rookie of the Year in four of the past five seasons. The other most recent NFL DROY winners include DE Chase Young (2020), LB Micah Parsons (2021), CB Sauce Gardner (2022), and DE Will Anderson (2023).

Given that recent history, it’s no surprise that the top favorites for 2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year include Dallas Turner, Laiatu Latu, Jared Verse, and Chop Robinson.

2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Analysis

Given the recent history of this award, it’s no surprise that the three players with the shortest 2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year odds at bet365 are pass rushers: Dallas Turner (Vikings), Laiatu Latu (Colts), and Jared Verse (Rams).

Below is a breakdown of the top players to consider and their defensive rookie of the year odds as of April 29.

Dallas Turner (Current bet365 Odds: +500)

Turner, a three-year starter at Alabama who piled up a total of 22.5 sacks in his college career, looks like a pro-ready pass rusher for the Vikings. Minnesota’s top rushers in 2023, Danielle Hunter and DJ Wonnum, left in free agency, which means Turner should get plenty of reps right away. He’ll likely combine with free agent signing Jonathan Greenard to anchor the pass rush for a team that finished 19th in the league with 43 sacks in 2023.

Turner’s three years of SEC experience give him a high floor for his rookie production, which strengthens his case amid a field that lacks a clear favorite.

Laiatu Latu (Current bet365 Odds: +750)

Latu, the first defensive player drafted this year, will have high expectations for his rookie season in Indianapolis. Latu’s 13 sacks for UCLA in 2023 earned him first-team All-America and Pac-12 Player of the Year honors. He showed the ability to beat offensive tackles in a variety of ways during his two seasons with the Bruins (23.5 sacks total in ’22 and ’23).

If not for a serious neck injury in 2021 that raised questions about his long-term prospects, Latu might have been drafted inside the top 10. He’s a tempting play at longer than 7-to-1 as long as he can earn snaps in the Colts’ crowded defensive end rotation (four Colts DEs had at least four sacks in 2023).

Jared Verse (Current bet365 Odds: +1000)

Verse broke out over the last two seasons at Florida State after starting his career at Albany. The 23-year-old will line up alongside DT Braden Fiske, his teammate in Tallahassee last season, and DT Kobie Turner, who broke out with nine sacks as a third-round rookie in 2023. With Aaron Donald now retired, Verse and Turner will be expected to lead the defensive line for a Rams team with a massive void left by Donald’s retirement.

Chop Robinson (Current bet365 Odds: +1000)

How healthy Bradley Chubb (torn ACL) and Jaelan Phillips (torn Achilles) are as they return from injuries will have a big impact on how soon Robinson gets on the field for Miami. The rookie from Penn State ran a 4.48-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine that showcased his athleticism and upside, but he finished with just four sacks in his final season with Penn State. Robinson is a wild card for a few reasons but could have some excellent 1-on-1 pass-rushing opportunities opposite Chubb/Phillips.

Quinyon Mitchell (Current bet365 Odds: +1000)

Mitchell is one of several rookie corners with a chance to win DROY after the Eagles selected him at No. 22. He followed up an impressive career at Toledo by turning heads in Mobile, Alabama, at the Senior Bowl, which helped him become the first corner taken in this year’s draft.

Philadelphia’s secondary was a weakness last season, and Mitchell looks like a likely starter in the defensive backfield. That gives him a chance to become the first DB to win DROY since the Jets’ Sauce Gardner in 2022 and second since New Orleans CB Marshon Lattimore back in 2017.

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