NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year 2024: Jared Verse and Quinyon Mitchell Coming Down to the Wire

• 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 remains the betting favorite with two weeks left in the season. But that doesn’t mean he’s a lock to win the award. Philadelphia cornerback Quinyon Mitchell is close behind him, which has been the case for the past several weeks.

Now that there are two weeks left in the season, Verse and Mitchell are the two primary contenders for DROTY. However, there are a few sleepers who shouldn’t be forgotten in the race just yet. In fact, Defensive Rookie of the Year is perhaps the toughest race to call with two weeks left in the season. With time running out, let’s take a deep dive into the Defensive Rookie of the Year contenders and offer our pick for the award.

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Odds 2024

Odds taken from FanDuel Sportsbook. Head over to FanDuel and place your bets: Bet $5, Get $300 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 (-550) at FanDuel

The Rams are inching closer to the NFC West title just like Verse is getting closer to winning Defensive Rookie of the Year. Despite being stuck on just 4.5 sacks, Verse has still made an impact in other ways. Equally important, he’s helped the Rams to win four straight games with the Los Angeles defense holding opponents to 14 points or less in three of those four games. Verse and the rest of the defensive line have become the catalyst for that success. With or without more sacks, if Verse and the Los Angeles defense continue to perform at a high level and get the Rams to the playoffs, he’ll be hard to beat in the DROTY voting.

Register at FanDuel and Get $250 in Bonus Bets

Quinyon Mitchell - Cornerback, Eagles (+400) at FanDuel

Opposing teams staying away from Mitchell might be hurting him in the Defensive Rookie of the Year race. During Philadelphia’s recent winning streak, which was snapped by the Commanders in Week 16, Mitchell was receiving fewer than four targets per game. That has reduced his chances of getting his first career interception or adding to his total of 11 defended passes. Mitchell also got beat for a touchdown by Terry McLaurin in Week 16 while failing to register a tackle. It’ll be interesting to see how voters approach Mitchell’s lack of stats with the reputation he’s gained as a lock-down cornerback.

Wager $5 at FanDuel for $250 in Bonus Bets

Chop Robinson - Defensive End, Dolphins (+2100) at FanDuel

Robinson is keeping himself in the Defensive Rookie of the Year conversation thanks to 2.5 sacks over his last two games. Granted, his odds have moved from +1400 to +2100 during that time, so he’s still struggling to keep pace with Verse and Mitchell. But six sacks as a rookie with a chance to add more in the last two games of the season will keep him in contention. Robinson and the Dolphins are also in the playoff race and will play meaningful games late in the season. It’s also worth noting that the Dolphins are playing two bad offensive teams - the Browns and Jets - so he could have a couple of big games and make a statement late in the year regarding his Defensive Rookie of the Year candidacy.

Claim $250 in Bonus Bets at FanDuel

Tarheeb Still - Cornerback, Chargers (+3700) at FanDuel

If Still had been a higher draft pick with some preseason hype, he might have had a better chance to win DROTY. Instead, he’s only emerged late in the year as a viable contender. The fifth-round pick has had to turn himself into a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate the hard way. Thanks to three interceptions and five defended passes over his last four games, Still has earned the attention he deserves as a key member of one of the best defenses in the NFL. Unfortunately, he’s going to have a hard time convincing voters he’s more deserving of the award than Mitchell. Since he’s not the top rookie cornerback in the league, he’s going to have a problem winning Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Bet $5, Get $250 in Bonus Bets at FanDuel

Who Will Win Defensive Rookie of the Year - My Pick

Jared Verse (-550) at FanDuel

Verse has been our pick all season, so it’ll take more than the lack of value that comes with his -550 odds to change our mind. Even with the strides that Mitchell has made and the lingering presence of Robinson, Verse clearly has the inside track for this award. Even if he doesn’t add another sack or two late in the season, Verse has done enough to stake his claim as the top defensive rookie. Barring something spectacular from one of the other contenders, Verse looks like a safe bet, which is why we’ll accept the -550 odds and stick with him as our Defensive Rookie of the Year pick.

Win a $5 Wager, Get $250 in Bonus Bets at FanDuel

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.

*Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Add’l terms.

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.