Opening NFL OROY & DROY Odds & Picks: Caleb Williams & Dallas Turner Are the Favorites
- The first-round of the NFL Draft is underway and we know where certain rookies will be playing in the 2024-25 NFL season
- Sportsbooks have opened odds for both NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year
- Caleb Williams and Dallas Turner are the early favorites, but are they good bets?
Though there are still plenty of picks to be made in the 2024 NFL Draft, we do know where some rookies will be playing for the upcoming 2024-25 NFL season. Sportsbooks didn’t wait to find out where any rookies would be playing to open their odds for both Offensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year, though. We have seen odds available for both awards since Friday of last week. Caleb Williams (offense) and Dallas Turner (defense) opened as the favorites, respectively.
But with the first-round of the NFL Draft upon us, we are about to see some major movement in these odds, specifically the NFL OROY odds, based on which team each player ends up on. The two tables below show the current odds and I have included some brief notes on movement that occurred as a result of where players were drafted. As we see more picks unveiled, I’ll also be offering some early picks for both NFL OROY and DROY.
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds
| Player | OROY Odds |
|---|---|
| Caleb Williams (Bears) | +200 |
| Marvin Harrison Jr (Cardinals) | +600 |
| Jayden Daniels (Commanders) | +650 |
| JJ McCarthy (Vikings) | +800 |
| Malik Nabers (Giants) | +900 |
| Bo Nix (Broncos) | +1600 |
| Drake Maye (Patriots) | +1600 |
| Xavier Worthy (Chiefs) | +1600 |
| Rome Odunze (Bears) | +1800 |
| Brock Bowers (Raiders) | +2500 |
The Chicago Bears’ new quarterback Caleb Williams, who they selected with the first-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, has opened as the favorite to win 2024-25 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Williams is the clear-cut favorite at +250 odds with Marvin Harrison Jr given the second-best at a distant +550.
Second-overall pick Jayden Daniels is given +800 odds, which are tied for third-best on the board.
The first big surprise of the NFL Draft was the Falcons taking Michael Penix Jr with the eighth-overall pick. Penix Jr’s OROY odds were +1800 entering the Draft, but have faded to +5000 with the expectation that he’ll sit behind Kirk Cousins for at least his rookie season.
The NFL OROY odds above are from DraftKings.
Early NFL OROY Picks
I just locked in JJ McCarthy for NFL OROY at +1600 on DraftKings. McCarthy was +1200 at FanDuel before the draft and they have already moved him to +1000 with the Vikings selecting him 10th-overall. The former Wolverine is coming into a great situation with Kevin O’Connell as his head coach and Justin Jefferson as his go-to target. He’s in a position to put up big numbers.
If you missed that price at DraftKings – it has now shortened to +1000 – check in with bet365 if they’re available in your region. They haven’t moved yet.
SPORTSBOOK
Bet $5 & Get $200 in Bonus Bets Instantly + a No Sweat NBA SGP Every Day!
I also just threw 0.25 units on Xavier Worthy to win OROY at +4000 odds. You can find this price at bet365. DraftKings has already shortened his odds to +1600.
I really like Williams and think he’s walking into a great situation with plenty of weapons at his disposal. However, this price is a little too short for me right now.
If you do really like Caleb Williams to win NFL OROY, don’t bet him at the +250 odds at DraftKings. You can get him at +350 at FanDuel.
I’m also staying away from Drake Maye. I don’t like the situation he is walking into and expect him to struggle early on. The same goes for Malik Nabers. I think Nabers is an absolute stud, but the Giants are one of the worst landing spots for him. Daniel Jones hasn’t been able to stay healthy, and even when he is on the field, he hasn’t been overly reliable.
Fellow WR Rome Odunze also ended up in a less than ideal situation for his OROY potential. Odunze joins a crowded receiving corps with DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and tight end Cole Kmet.
I am keeping my eye on Jayden Daniels’ odds, though. You can get him at +1200 at FanDuel, and I think we might see that price get a little longer after the Bills and Chiefs take their respective receivers.
NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Odds
| Player | DROY Odds |
|---|---|
| Dallas Turner (Vikings) | +650 |
| Laiatu Latu (Colts) | +650 |
| Jared Verse (Rams) | +1000 |
| Quinyon Mitchell (Eagles) | +1000 |
| Chop Robinson (Dolphins) | +1300 |
| Byron Murphy II (Seahawks) | +1300 |
| Terrion Arnold (Lions) | +1400 |
| Cooper DeJean (TBD) | +2000 |
| Nate Wiggins (Ravens) | +2200 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry (TBD) | +2500 |
Dallas Turner opened as the favorite to win NFL DROY with +700 odds. As is usually the case, there is no heavy favorite at the moment to win the award, as Laiatu Latu, who was the first defensive player taken in the draft, is a close second with +750 odds and Jared Verse is third with +900 odds.
The NFL DROY odds above are from DraftKings.
Early NFL DROY Picks
I’ll be quickly checking the odds for whichever pass-rusher ends up being selected by the Falcons. I suspect Atlanta’s offense to be quite explosive this year, forcing their opponents into negative game scripts, allowing their pass-rushers to attack often. I also really like the idea of that pass-rusher seeing each of Bryce Young, Baker Mayfield, and Derek Carr twice.
The above did not age well after the Falcons did not address their obvious need at pass-rusher with the eighth-overall pick.
I don’t really like Byron Murphy II to win DROY despite really liking him as a player. If Jalen Carter couldn’t win it after a dominant season for a DT last year, I don’t have faith in the voters noticing Murphy enough.
Neither Laiatu Latu (Colts) or Dallas Turner (Vikings) ended up in spots where I love them. With their short prices, I’ll be passing for now.
My eyes are on Jared Verse and Chop Robinson to see where they end up. I just locked in Verse to win DROY at +900 at DraftKings!
DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOKBET $5 & GET $200 IN BONUS BETS INSTANTLY!
- FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK
BET $5 & GET $150 IF YOUR BET WINS!
- BETMGM SPORTSBOOK
GET UP TO $1,500 BACK IN BONUS BETS!
- BET365 SPORTSBOOK
BET $5 & GET $150 IN BONUS BETS!
- CAESARS SPORTSBOOK
GET UP TO $1,000 BACK - ON CAESARS!
After working in TV, Matt turned his focus towards numbers, specifically odds. He has been with us since 2016 and serves as SBD's Editor-in-Chief, credited with creating our futures trackers, SBD's score predictor, SBD Sharp, and his own model for calculating NFL SOS, among other products.
