Which rookies will step up and shine in 2020? LSU QB Joe Burrow, the #1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, leads all other rookies as a 2/1 odds favorite to win the 2020 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Oddsmakers at the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas also listed Chase Young, DE from Ohio State, as the favorite at 2/1 odds to win the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. The Washington Redskins selected Young with the second overall pick in the NFL Draft.
The #1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals), secured the 2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year. Murray’s win marked only the 11th time in NFL history that the Heisman Trophy winner won the NFL Rookie of the Year the next season.
Will reigning Heisman winner, Joe Burrow, become #12?
NFL OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF YEAR WINNERS (SINCE 2015)
2015 Todd Gurley (RB, St. Louis Rams)
2016 Dak Prescott (QB, Dallas Cowboys)
2017 Alvin Kamara (RB, New Orleans Saints)
2018 Saquon Barkley (RB, New York Giants)
2019 Kyler Murray (QB, Arizona Cardinals)NFL DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF YEAR (SINCE 2015)
2015 Marcus Peters (CB, Kansas City Chiefs)
2016 Joey Bosa (DE, San Diego Chargers)
2017 Marshon Lattimore (CB, New Orleans Saints)
2018 Darius Leonard (LB, Indianapolis Colts)
2019 Nick Bosa (DE, San Francisco 49ers)
Nick Bosa, a defensive end from the San Francisco 49ers, won the 2019 Defensive Rookie of the Year. His older brother, Joey Bosa, won the same award in 2016 with the San Diego Chargers.
Top Offense Rookie: Burrow, CEH, Tua, JT, JK
The Cincinnati Bengals went all-in with Burrow as their future franchise quarterback. The Andy Dalton years finally ended and the Bengals went in a new and younger direction. Dalton will now backup Dak Prescott in Dallas while Burrow gets thrown into the deep end of the pool.
It’s not easy for a rookie QB to survive in his first season, but Burrow could become the seventh QB to win the NFL Rookie of Year since 2008 (Matt Ryan, Sam Bradford, Cam Newtown, Robert Griffin III, Dak Prescott, and Kyler Murray). Burrow is looking to become the second consecutive Heisman Trophy winner to secure the NFL Rookie of the Year.
2020 NFL OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF YEAR ODDS
Joe Burrow 2/1
Clyde Edwards-Helaire 6/1
Tua Tagovailoa 12/1
Jonathan Taylor 12/1
JK Dobbins 12/1
Cam Akers 20/1
D’Andre Swfit 20/1
Justin Herbet 20/1
Denzel Mims 60/1
LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire was the first running back selected in the 2020 NFL Draft. He went as the last pick in the first round, or #32 overall, to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The New York Jets believe they got the steal of the draft by selecting Baylor WR, Denzel Mims, in the late second round with the #59 overall pick. Mims offers up the best value at 60/1 odds.
Tua Tagovailoa says he’s 100% healthy after incurring numerous injuries (fracture hip, both ankles) at Alabama over the past few seasons. Tagovailoa, a true warrior and tough guy, could prove all the skeptics wrong with a stunning season with the Miami Dolphins. His odds are 12/1 to win the NFL Rookie of the Year.
Top Defense Rookie: Young, D-Brown, Simmons, Queen, Okudah
Washington bolstered its pass rush by selecting Chase Young with the second pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Young hopes he can follow the footsteps of Nick Bosa as back-to-back Ohio State DE’s winning the NFL Rookie of the Year. Westgate set Young at 2/1 odds to become the league’s Rookie of Year on defense.
The Detroit Lions drafted Young’s teammate at Ohio State, Jeff Okudah, with the third overall pick. The linebacker should thrive in Matt Patrica’s defensive system. Okudah is 20/1 odds to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year.
2020 NFL DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF YEAR ODDS
Chase Young 2/1
Derrick Brown 6/1
Isaiah Simmons 6/1
Patrick Queen 12/1
Javon Kinlaw 14/1
Kenneth Murray 14/1
Jeff Okudah 20/1
The Carolina Panthers selected Isaiah Simmons (DT, Auburn) with the seventh overall pick. New head coach Matt Rhule hopes that Simmons can plug holes in the middle of Carolina’s D-line. Simmons is the second-highest favorite on the Defensive Rookie of the Year board at 6/1 odds.
Patrick Queen won a national championship with LSU. Now, the linebacker will try to help Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens win the 2021 Super Bowl. Queen’s odds are 12/1 to secure the NFL defensive Rookie of the Year.