Chase Young Opens as the Heavy Favorite to Win 2020 NFL DROY, Isaiah Simmons the Next Best
- Chase Young has opened as the +325 favorite to win 2020 NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors
- Named a unanimous All-American last season, the Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end is also heavily favored to be selected second overall in the upcoming NFL Draft
- Get all the odds and insight on the best bets to win NFL DROY honors in the story below
After capping his college football career with a stellar 2019 campaign that earned him unanimous All-American honors, Chase Young looks like a lock to be selected in the top three of the upcoming NFL Draft.
He also has opened as the +325 favorite in the 2020 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year odds.
Odds to Win 2020 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Chase Young | +325 |
| Isaiah Simmons | +750 |
| AJ Epenesa | +1100 |
| Patrick Queen | +1400 |
| Kenneth Murray | +1600 |
| Grant Delpit | +1600 |
| Kristian Fulton | +1800 |
| Xavier McKinney | +1800 |
| Jeff Okudah | +1800 |
| Derrick Brown | +1800 |
| Akeem Davis-Gaither | +2000 |
| Julian Okwara | +2000 |
| Willie Gay Jr. | +2000 |
| Troy Dye | +2000 |
Odds taken March 27th.
Young Coming Off Award-Winning Campaign
The 20-year-old defensive end struck fear into opposing quarterbacks with a nation-leading 16.5 sacks, and played a key role in the Ohio State Buckeyes’ march to the College Football Playoff for the third time in six years.
Chase Young | Ohio State | Edge:
Chase Young is what you get what you get when you build an edge rusher in a laboratory. His rare blend of size, length, power, and speed allows him to be elite in every aspect of rushing the passer. Leave him one-on-one and you will pay for it. pic.twitter.com/IG3tDbO6tv
— NFL Film Review (@NFLFilmReview) March 24, 2020
Young’s solid performance has lifted his stock going into the NFL Draft. Winner of both the Bednarik & Nagurski Award, Young is widely expected to be the first defensive player selected, and sports short -500 odds of being the second overall pick, with the Washington Redskins emerging as a -500 bet to take the Maryland native.
NFL DROY Winners Typically Among Top Draft Picks
Being the first defensive player taken in the NFL Draft bodes well for Young’s chances to win DROY. The first defensive player drafted has claimed the award on four occasions over the past decade, including reigning winner Nick Bosa, who was picked second overall by the San Francisco 49ers at last year’s draft.
A trip to #SBLIV and a candidate for DROY?
Not a bad way to start your career, Nick Bosa. 💪 @nbsmallerbear | @49ers | #GoNiners pic.twitter.com/V8O8phAYLe
— NFL (@NFL) January 31, 2020
Indeed, all but one of the past 10 NFL DROY winners have been among the top twenty in their respective draft classes, with the lone exception being Indianapolis Colts linebacker Darius Leonard, who claimed the honor in 2018 after being drafted 36th overall.
Clemson’s hybrid linebacker Isaiah Simmons sits second at +750, followed by Iowa’s EDGE AJ Epenesa at +1100, and LSU’s linebacker Patrick Queen at +1400.
Simmons Poised to Challenge Young
Simmons closed out his third full season at Clemson in impressive fashion, amassing 104 tackles, seven sacks and three interceptions, and added 20 tackles and one sack during the Tigers’ run in the College Football Playoff.
Listed as a massive -4500 favorite to be the first linebacker taken the 2020 NFL Draft, Simmons also sports intriguing +500 odds of being taken third overall with a pick currently owned by the Detroit Lions.
The Lions have spent the last two seasons trying to find a guy even remotely capable of doing this. https://t.co/s01qE09CyD
— Chris Burke (@ChrisBurkeNFL) March 1, 2020
The 21-year-old would fit well into head coach Matt Patricia’s system, and provide massive improvement to a Lions defense that ranked 31st overall, and 26th in points allowed per game with 26.4.
However, just one linebacker has won DROY over the past seven years, which reversed a trend that saw linebackers in 11 of the previous 13 years.
Epenesa, Queen Projected to Be Late First-Rounders
Epenesa also enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2019, finishing 12th in the nation with 11.5 sacks and adding 49 tackles. However, the Iowa Hawkeyes defensive end has been projected to be a late pick in the first round, which could place him in a less than ideal situation to compete for DROY.
On a conference call, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. says potential Ravens target A.J. Epenesa likely won't fall any further than the late first round or early second round.
The Iowa DE, who had a disappointing combine performance, is the No. 25 overall pick in Kiper's latest mock draft.
— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) March 25, 2020
Queen is set to kick off his NFL career after winning the CFP National Championship with LSU earlier this year. The 20-year-old tallied 85 tackles and three sacks, but like Epenesa, Queen is projected on many mock drafts to go late in the first round, raising questions about his chances.
Pick: Isaiah Simmons (+1100)
Daniel has been writing about sports and sports betting for over 23 years. The seasoned pro has contributed to the likes of Sports Illustrated, Sportsnet, NESN, Bleacher Report, OddsShark, the Globe and Mail, and The Nation magazine.
