NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year 2025: Abdul Carter Leads, Two Sets of Teammates to Watch

• After three weeks, Abdul Carter continues to have a strong grip on the Defensive Rookie of the Year race after being the preseason favorite

• Philadelphia’s Jihaad Campbell has emerged as Carter’s top competition

• Both the Falcons and Browns have two defensive rookies who are worth monitoring in the DROTY race

While offensive awards in the NFL tend to get most of the attention, Defensive Rookie of the Year is an award that shouldn’t be overlooked. There is always a crop of defensive rookies at all three levels who are hungry to start their career on the right foot. In fact, many past recipients of Defensive Player of the Year have gone on to become bona fide stars in the NFL. For bettors, accurately predicting the DROTY winner can also be rather lucrative, which is why it’s worth taking a closer look at this award.

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Odds 2025

Odds taken from FanDuel Sportsbook. Click on the odds below to go straight to FanDuel and place a bet on Defensive Rookie of the Year: Bet $5, Get $300 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins.

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Predictions

It’s going to take more than three weeks for the Defensive Rookie of the Year race to start sorting itself out. Almost by default, Abdul Carter remains the betting favorite. He looked good in Week 1, although his overall reviews have been somewhat mixed. Also, playing for the winless Giants could end up hurting him. On the other hand, Brian Burns is bound to get a lot of attention after collecting four sacks in three games, potentially opening up opportunities for Carter to make an impact.

Right now, the biggest competition for Carter is coming from Philadelphia’s Jihaad Campbell. As an inside linebacker, Campbell isn’t likely to collect a lot of sacks or impress people with numbers. However, he and Zack Braun have been great together thus far. If the Eagles can put together one of the league’s best defenses, Campbell will start to warrant more credit.

Meanwhile, two teams that need to be monitored are the Falcons and Browns. Both have two players in the DROTY conversation. After a 30-0 loss in Week 3, don’t be surprised if the Falcons give James Pearce and Jalon Walker more playing time.

Meanwhile, defensive tackle Mason Graham and inside linebacker Carson Schwesinger both played key roles for the Browns in Cleveland’s stunning 13-10 win over the Packers. Keep in mind that despite a 41-17 loss to the Ravens in Week 2, the Browns held Baltimore to just 45 rushing yards. The Browns might have something brewing defensively, with those two rookies being a big part of it.

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Defensive Rookie of the Year Winner - My Pick

• Carson Schwesinger (+950) at FanDuel Sportsbook

Rather than sticking with Carter as the safe pick, we’re going to take a chance on Schwesinger. At +950, he offers great value while also having the third-shortest odds for Defensive Rookie of the Year. It may have been one game, but he had 10 tackles (7 solo) and a sack against the Packers in Week 3. A player like that can quickly transform a defense, especially with the other pieces Cleveland has on that side of the ball. In a race that’s still wide open, Schwesinger is worth an early-season flier.

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How to Bet on NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year

Defensive Rookie of the Year might be the NFL’s most unpredictable and wide-open award. Most of the top draft selections are on the offensive side of the ball, so there is rarely an obvious preseason favorite for DROTY, creating a level playing field. Historically, this award hasn’t been dominated by a specific position. While Defensive Player of the Year tends to favor pass rushers, cornerbacks, middle linebackers, and defensive linemen are all viable candidates for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.

Also, unlike other awards, DROTY isn’t necessarily driven by the player with the best stats. Defensive rookies rarely put up eye-catching numbers. Instead, the winner of this award often goes to the player who made the biggest impact on the field, regardless of their numbers. Obviously, that’s quite subjective, making it tough to project who will win this award until the end of the season. Often, the best bet for Defensive Rookie of the Year is a player who will have an opportunity to play a lot of snaps during his rookie season and a player who plays for a defense that needs help. Typically, those players have the best chance to stand out and garner serious consideration for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.

How to Read NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Odds

With so many potential contenders, you will likely find Defensive Rookie of the Year candidates with plus (+) odds. This indicates a significant profit if you can accurately predict the winner. For example, a $100 bet on a player with +600 odds means a profit of $600. Later in the season, there might be an obvious favorite with negative (-) odds. This means the bet is safe but comes with a smaller payout. For instance, if a player has -300 odds, you will need to wager $300 in order to make a $100 profit.

Where to Bet on NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year

There are several online sportsbooks where you can bet on the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Among those options, FanDuel Sportsbook is one of the best. FanDuel is one of the NFL’s official betting partners, which is why you can always find a huge selection of NFL betting options. This includes postseason awards like Defensive Rookie of the Year.

FanDuel is also a great platform for novice bettors and new users. If you sign up for a FanDuel account, you will have access to a welcome offer: Bet $5, Get $300 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins. You don’t need a promo code for this offer. You just have to win a $5 bet as your first wager with FanDuel to receive bonus bets.

Defensive Rookie of the Year History

Defensive Rookie of the Year has been awarded by the AP since 1967. A panel of 50 sportswriters votes to decide the winner with many past winners going on to have great careers in the NFL.

Past Defensive Rookie of the Year Winners