After Opening at 100-1, Antonio Gibson’s NFL OROY Odds Now as Short as +1200

• Hybrid RB/WR Antonio Gibson has seen his OROY odds steadily improve as his expected role in Washington’s offense keeps expanding
• Gibson averaged 15.6 yards a touch in limited action during his two collegiate seasons at Memphis
• See more on Gibson’s case as well as the full odds board for NFL OROY within the story below

While he’s been steadily rising up fantasy draft boards since mid-August, Washington’s Antonio Gibson has also been seeing his odds to win Rookie of the Year improve during training camp.

Gibson had a nice career at Memphis as a hybrid running back/wide receiver under coach Mike Norvell. However, he was not considered a player who would immediately make a major impact in pro ball.

That thought was evidenced by his opening odds of +10000 to win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Gibson, though, is no longer considered just another guy. He has risen to the fifth choice in the NFL OROY odds.

2020 NFL OROY Odds

Odds taken Sept. 9th

Opportunity Knocks in DC

Gibson’s odds shortened immediately after the stunning news broke last weekend that Washington had released Adrian Peterson, the fifth-leader rusher in NFL history.

That completed a housecleaning at running back by new coach Ron Rivera. Derrius Guice was released Aug. 7 following his arrest on domestic violence charges. Washington also decided to move on from longtime third-down back Chris Thompson.

Rivera plans to go with a four-man committee in the running game.

Gibson is expected to get the most carries following an impressive training camp. JD McKissic and Peyton Barber should factor in as well, and Bryce Love has breakout potential if he can ever get healthy.

Gibson has Peterson’s endorsement.

Adrian Peterson is a classy dude. On Antonio Gibson just now:

"He'll make an easy transition to the NFL because he's a big guy. I know he took 95% of his snaps at the WR position in college but he's going to be able to run between the tackles. I love what I see from him."

— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) September 4, 2020

Gibson had just 33 rushing attempts in two seasons at Memphis. However, he gained 369 yards for an eye-popping average of 11.2 yards per carry.

The 6-foot, 228-pounder was also a big-play receiver with 44 career catches for 834 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Once Just Another Guy

To get a feel for how lightly regarded Gibson was at one point, consider three other players who were also listed at +10000 in the opening odds for OROY – Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm, Washington State QB Anthony Gordon and Michigan wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones.

Fromm was one of the draft’s biggest fallers, dropping all the way to the fifth round where the Bills picked him. He is third on Buffalo’s depth chart behind Josh Allen and Matt Barkley.

Jake Fromm ➡️ George Pickens 🎯

(via @SECNetwork) pic.twitter.com/oX1qfnSxb9

— UGA Rewind (@UGARewind) September 9, 2020

Despite putting up gaudy numbers running Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense in college, Gordon went undrafted then was released by the Seattle Seahawks this week after signing with the as a free agent in April.

Peoples-Jones is talented but had such a lackluster college career that some analysts thought he might go undrafted. The Cleveland Browns choose him in the sixth round, but he looks to be their WR5 going into the season opener.

Sizing Up the Field

Gibson figures to get his share of touches in Washington as Rivera hopes to build a solid running game to take pressure off second-year quarterback Dwayne Haskins.

It will be interesting to see if NFL defenders have a hard time bringing Gibson down.

Antonio Gibson broke 33 tackles on 77 career touches at Memphis pic.twitter.com/CLbJpC3eXU

— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 4, 2020

Yet OROY favorite Joe Burrow will always have the ball in his hands as the Cincinnati Bengals’ quarterback. Burrow will be able to showcase his Heisman Trophy-winning skills without worrying about getting benched.

Second choice Clyde Edwards-Helaire figures to make a big impact with the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. He will be the feature back after Damien Williams opted out of the season because of COVID-19 concerns.

Gibson has plenty of raw talent, but the feeling is that it may take a while before that translates into production in the NFL. So, any wager on him should be a small one.

Edwards-Helaire is in a perfect spot. He and the Chiefs’ other backs will have little pressure to produce potentially big numbers on an offense that features Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce.

With the release of D’Andre Washington, the Chiefs RB room now consists of Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Darrel Williams, and Darwin Thompson.

This is going to be a VERY dangerous group. Keep sleeping. pic.twitter.com/OC9b6s3Ry1

— Dirk (@ChiefsDirk) September 5, 2020

The best value on the board? Baltimore Ravens running back J.K. Dobbins.

Though the former Ohio State standout will start the season behind Mark Ingram, Dobbins is extremely talented and should play a significant role in the Ravens run-heavy attack.