NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year 2024: Jared Verse and Quinyon Mitchell Locked in a Dead Heat

• Will Anderson Jr. won Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2023.

• With no defensive players selected in the first 14 picks of the 2024 NFL Draft, Defensive Player of the Year figures to be wide open.

• Laiatu Latu of the Colts was the favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year heading into the 2024 season.

Year after year, the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award is one of the most unpredictable in the NFL. Of course, the top defensive players selected in the draft have high expectations. But you never know who is going to stand out the most during the season. You don’t even know what position the top defensive rookie will play. Past winners of Defensive Rookie of the Year have come from all three levels of the defense, including defensive end Will Anderson Jr., who won the award last season.

Jared Verse of the Rams didn’t begin the season as the betting favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024. However, he’s been the clubhouse leader virtually since the season kicked off. According to FanDuel, he is the clear frontrunner for the award. However, his lead over the nearest competitors for Defensive Rookie of the Year isn’t as big as it was a few weeks ago. In fact, Verse is nearly on equal ground with Philadelphia cornerback Quinyon Mitchell. There are also a few sleepers hanging around the Defensive Rookie of the Year discussion heading into the final month of the season. 

With four weeks left to play, there is a lot that can happen. Keep in mind that around this time last year, Kobie Turner emerged as a late contender and nearly won DROTY. While most of the focus right now is on Verse and Mitchell, there are some other contenders worth looking at. Let’s take a close look at all of the top candidates for Defensive Rookie of the Year and offer our pick for who will end up winning.

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Odds 2024

Odds taken from FanDuel Sportsbook. Head over to FanDuel and place your bets: Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins.

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Predictions

There are so many different directions for the Defensive Rookie of the Year race to go. Let’s take a look at where the current list of favorites stand and give you our pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024.

Jared Verse - Defensive End, Rams (-105) at FanDuel

Despite not collecting a sack in four straight games, Verse continues to be the betting favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year. With a modest 4.5 sacks on the season, one has to wonder if that could end up costing him DROTY honors. On the bright side, Verse is getting into the backfield and impacting games in other ways. The Rams are also trending in the right direction and in contention for a playoff spot. That is helping his case, although Verse needs to add a few more sacks late in the season if he wants to wrap up Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.

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Quinyon Mitchell - Cornerback, Eagles (+115) at FanDuel

Mitchell continues to make a hard push for Defensive Rookie of the Year. His odds have moved from +260 after Week 12 to +115 after Week 14 despite a subpar effort against the Panthers in Week 14. Of course, the word is already out around the league that throwing in Mitchell’s direction isn’t easy, regardless of the receiver. With no interceptions and a solid but unspectacular 10 defended passes, Mitchell’s numbers don’t scream Defensive Rookie of the Year. However, those who have watched him understand the impact he’s making on a team that’s won nine in a row, allowing 20 points or less in eight of those games.

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Chop Robinson - Defensive End, Dolphins (+1400) at FanDuel

Robinson is doing just enough to remain in the DROTY conversation as a sleeper pick. Similar to Verse, his sack numbers haven’t been there, as he has just 3.5 on the season. But he’s had some quality performances during the season and put himself in a position to collect a few more sacks late in the season. Obviously, the Dolphins could use a young player like Robinson to step up and make a bigger impact down the stretch. If he can add to his sack total over the next month, his Defensive Rookie of the Year chances could improve in a hurry.

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Tarheeb Still - Cornerback, Chargers (+2500) at FanDuel

Still has been a late season addition to the Defensive Rookie of the Year discussion. He was a fifth-round pick out of Maryland, so carving out a starting spot with the Chargers was a little bit of a surprise. Nevertheless, Still has been a frequent contributor on one of the best defenses in the NFL. With three interceptions, including a pick-six, and eight defended passes, Still has solid numbers, although he’ll have to find a way to stand out even more to put him on level footing with Mitchell as the top rookie cornerback in the league.

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Cooper DeJean - Cornerback, Eagles (+2500) at FanDuel

DeJean continues to hang around the DROTY conversation. However, he had one of his worst games Week 14 against the Panthers, causing his odds to drop from +1800 two weeks ago to +2500 heading into Week 15. It’s also hard to envision a scenario in which he garners more Defensive Rookie of the Year attention than his teammate Mitchell. That gives him a narrow path to winning the award.

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Laiatu Latu - Defensive End, Colts (+2500) at FanDuel

Latu hasn’t quite lived up to the hype as one of the preseason favorites for Defensive Rookie of the Year. But he might be mounting a late push. He’s recorded two sacks in his last three games, giving him four on the season. Latu also has three forced fumbles this year, so his production has been on par with pass rushers like Verse and Robinson. Surprisingly, Latu has done that without being a full-time starter for the Colts. With a little momentum on his side late in the year, Latu still has an outside chance of winning DROTY if he can keep the sacks coming, especially if the Colts can also make a late playoff push.

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Who Will Win Defensive Rookie of the Year - My Pick

Jared Verse (-105) at FanDuel Sportsbook

Verse has been our pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year all season, so we’re not going to jump ship now. Admittedly, Mitchell has made a compelling argument while Robinson and Latu hold good value as sleepers. However, Verse is finding ways to impact games every week and is helping the Rams win games down the stretch. Of course, there is plenty of work for him to do, and a few more sacks would help his case immensely. But since his odds are almost even, Verse is still the best betting option for Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024.

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Who Won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023?

Will Anderson Jr. of the Texans won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023. While Jalen Carter and a few other standout players made it an interesting race throughout the season, Anderson edged out the competition.

Defensive Rookie of the Year History

Defensive Rookie of the Year has been awarded by the AP since 1967. A panel of 50 sportswriters votes to decide the winner with many past winners going on to have great careers in the NFL.

Past Defensive Rookie of the Year Winners

How to Choose the Best Sportsbook for Betting on Defensive Rookie of the Year

Before you place a bet on NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, make sure you’re using the right sportsbook. Every online sportsbook has different odds, different features, and different promos. This requires a little bit of research before finding the sportsbook that’s right for you.

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How to Read Defensive Rookie of the Year Odds

Barring a heavy favorite, every candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year will be assigned plus (+) odds. This means that the profit will be greater than the wager if that player wins. For example, if you get $100 on a player with +550 odds, you will profit $550. Of course, if one player is the clear favorite late in the season, he may have negative (-) odds. For instance, if a player has -400 odds, you will need to wager $400 in order to make a $100 profit.