NFL futures betting: Rookie of the Year best bets
We pick out four best bets for NFL Rookie of the Year ahead of the 2022 season.
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Offensive Rookie of the Year
Dameon Pierce | RB | Houston Texans (+500)
Pierce was the seventh running back taken in the 2022 NFL Draft, going in the fourth round at 107th overall to the Texans, but already looks set for a starring role in Houston.
The Florida product looked to be up against veteran running back Marlon Mack for starting reps, but is now the presumptive RB1 after Mack was cut from the roster.
As a result, Pierce’s odds to win Offensive Rookie of the Year have plummeted, and he is now the joint second-favorite to win the award at +500.
Breece Hall of the New York Jets – the +850 favorite – is the only other rookie running back who looks to be in line for significant carries in the early part of the season, but his path to starting is complicated by the presence of second-year running back Michael Carter.
Pierce has no such competition in Houston, with Rex Burkhead set for another season as a back-up, and Dare Ogunbowale and Royce Freeman further down the depth chart.
The Texans are expected to be among the worst teams in the league this year but, if he stays healthy, Pierce should have plenty of opportunities to impress and put himself in the mix for Rookie of the Year.
Drake London | WR | Atlanta Falcons (+800)
London was selected eighth overall by the Falcons, making him the first receiver off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The 6ft 4in, 220lb wideout put up 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns in his junior year at USC, and was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year despite playing just eight games due to an ankle fracture.
London’s size and length make him an instant threat in the NFL, and he has the ability to play both in the slot and on the outside.
There is some concern about his lack of elite speed and acceleration, but there is no doubt he has the skill and IQ to create openings for his quarterback to find him.
London is another rookie who should get opportunities immediately in the NFL, with the Atlanta offense lacking many top-tier weapons.
Second-year tight end Kyle Pitts and veteran Cordarrelle Patterson will likely be the top targets for Marcus Mariota, meaning there should be plenty of targets available for London to impress.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Aidan Hutchinson | DE | Detroit Lions (+900)
There’s a reason Hutchinson is the clear favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.
The Michigan product is coming off a record-breaking senior season in which he broke the Wolverines sack record with 14, and was widely expected to go No. 1 overall in the draft.
The Jacksonville Jaguars ended up taking Travon Walker with the first pick, leaving Detroit to grab Hutchinson, who will begin his NFL career in his home state.
Pass rushers have dominated this award in recent years, with the last four winners all playing on the edge, including 2021’s unanimous winner Micah Parsons.
Hutchinson looks to be the most NFL-ready in his position and should rack up the sacks needed to make it five in a row.
Travon Walker | DE | Jacksonville Jaguars (+900)
You might be tempted to have a flyer on a defensive back at longer odds, with Sauce Gardner (600), Kyle Hamilton (+4000), and Derek Stingley Jr. (+2000) all tipped for big things in the NFL.
For a cornerback or safety to win, however, they would have to have an all-time rookie season. Marshon Lattimore is the only defensive back to win Rookie of the Year since Charles Woodson in 1998.
It pays to be sensible in this market, and that means pass rushers, and where better to look than the No. 1 pick?
Walker registered six sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery as he helped the Georgia Bulldogs to the 2022 national championship in his junior season.
He will slot straight into the defensive line in Jacksonville and, if he impresses in his first professional season, should get credit among voters for helping to improve a struggling franchise.
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