2025 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Odds: Best Bets, Favorites, and Long Shots
The NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year odds stack up exactly how you'd expect based on the recent history of the award, with eight of the top 10 favorites being either a first-round defensive lineman or cornerback.
Leading the way at our best sports betting sites is New York Giants third overall pick Abdul Carter, who opened as the obvious favorite to win an award that has gone to a first-round defensive lineman or cornerback in 11 of the last 12 years. But can Carter live up to the hype?
🥇 Who will win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year?
Our live NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year odds update in real time.
👑 Who is the favorite to win 2025 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year?
🗽 Abdul Carter, EDGE, Giants (+300)
- Projected stat line: 78 tackles, 12 TFLs, 8.5 sacks
Straying from Carter will be tough when it comes to betting on an NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate. The last two winners of the award were first-round edge rushers (Jared Verse, Will Anderson Jr.), and five of the last six fall into that category - three of them were fellow top-three picks like Carter.
This award almost exclusively ends up in the hands of a first-round defensive lineman or cornerback, and Carter is one of the best pass-rushing prospects in recent memory.
He also doesn't have a lot of competition heading into the season, given the fact that the only other blue-chip prospect on the defensive side of the ball is expected to focus more on offense - and is a better NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds bet.
If Travis Hunter only moonlights at cornerback, Carter could run away with this award by midseason if he lives up to his potential.
The Penn State product was unblockable last season after the Nittany Lions moved him to a true edge rushing role - he previously spent time in a hybrid off-ball role similar to Micah Parsons' when he played for James Franklin. It paid off in a big way with Carter finishing second in the country in pressures (66) and fifth in pass rush win rate (22.6%), per PFF.
The only reason to doubt Carter would be that the Giants' D-line is loaded, and they might not need him to play as many snaps as he otherwise would have on another team. But being in a rotation with Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux should only keep him fresh, plus offensive lines will be so worried about Dexter Lawrence that Carter will have plenty of one-on-one opportunities.
Even with this price paying just a $30 profit on a $10 winning bet, good luck finding a better option.
Best odds: +300 via BetRivers | Implied probability: 25%
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💰 Best bet to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
⛏️ Mykel Williams, EDGE, 49ers (+1500)
- Projected stat line: 41 tackles, 10 TFLs, 6.5 sacks
Looking for an NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate that could actually win if Carter doesn't live up to the hype - and pays a solid profit? Look no further than the 11th overall pick, who's set to play with an NFL Defensive Player of the Year odds candidate.
Suiting up with Nick Bosa should immediately take pressure off Williams and lead to him cashing in on sacks while opposing offensive lines are trying to block the former NFL Defensive Player and Rookie of the Year.
Players with half the talent of Williams - Leonard Floyd, Samon Ebukam, Arden Key, Dee Ford - have enjoyed success next to Bosa and under heralded D-line coach Kris Kocurek, so imagine what a 6-foot-5, 260-pound pass rusher with 81st percentile arm length (34 3/8 inches) and a 1.61 10-yard split will be doing on this defense.
Williams' draft stock suffered slightly because he was banged up at Georgia this past season, but the former five-star recruit hasn't even turned 21 years old yet and was playing meaningful snaps for a Kirby Smart national championship-winning defense at just 18. He has the physical tools and pedigree to turn into a Pro Bowl talent and compete for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
In a better situation with a more clear role than former Georgia teammate Jalon Walker, Williams is easily the best non-Carter bet at this point. If he can win the award, a $10 wager pays a $150 profit.
Best odds: +1500 via BetRivers | Implied probability: 6.25%
🎯 Best long shot for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
🐴 Jahdae Barron, CB, Broncos (+2200)
- Projected stat line: 65 tackles, five TFLs, nine passes defended, two interceptions
The only position other than defensive line - specifically edge rusher - that wins this award with any consistency is cornerback. Obviously the top cornerback in this rookie class is Hunter, but with him likely being more focused on playing wide receiver early in his debut season, I think he's a far better bet to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year than DROY.
Only two other cornerbacks cracked the first round of the draft: Barron at 20th to the Denver Broncos and Maxwell Hairston at 30th to the Buffalo Bills. Not only is Barron the better prospect, but he's in a far better spot to make an immediate impact on a Vance Joseph defense that can deploy him outside at corner or inside at nickel to get the most out of his versatile skill set.
Barron has a Brian Branch-like tool kit when it comes to his cover instincts, take-on skills, feistiness, and quick twitch reaction. It should help the Jim Thorpe Award winner make as many plays in coverage as he does around the line of scrimmage, blowing up screens or in run support. At Texas last season, he was 10th in the Power 4 in defensive stops among cornerbacks (19) while allowing just a 34.2 NFL QB rating.
He can be a weapon as a rookie, similar to Branch, who was fifth in DROY voting two years ago and just earned a Pro Bowl nod in his second season. While I wouldn't advise betting on anyone other than Carter or Williams right now, Barron is the best option among players with odds longer than +2000.
Best odds: +2200 via BetMGM | Implied probability: 4.35%
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🤖 AI prediction: Who will win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year?
For entertainment purposes, we asked ChatGPT to analyze NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year trends and landing spots for this rookie class to project this year's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Our AI prediction projects that New York Giants edge rusher Abdul Carter will win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
🖥️ AI prediction: Abdul Carter to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
🏈 Elite talent: Carter was the No. 3 overall pick for the Giants and was widely considered one of the top two or three players in the class across all major rankings.
🏈 Huge opportunity: New York desperately needs difference-makers on defense, and Carter will have an immediate impact and have the freedom to rush the passer heavily in Shane Bowen’s system.
🏈 Position value: Pass rushers dominate DROY historically (think Micah Parsons, Nick Bosa, Chase Young), and if Carter even flashes double-digit sack potential, he’ll be the front-runner.
🤔 Betting takeaway: ChatGPT's AI prediction would mean No. 3 pick Abdul Carter winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (+300). ChatGPT is a large language model and not specifically designed for predicting sporting events, so these projections should be viewed as entertainment or a supplementary data point for your NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year betting research.
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