NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year 2024: Jared Verse Emerges as the Early Favorite

• Will Anderson Jr. won Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2023.

• With no defensive players selected in the first 14 picks of the 2024 NFL Draft, Defensive Player of the Year figures to be wide open.

• Laiatu Latu of the Colts is the favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year heading into the 2024 season.

Year after year, the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award is one of the most unpredictable in the NFL. Of course, the top defensive players selected in the draft have high expectations. But you never know who is going to stand out the most during the season. You don’t even know what position the top defensive rookie will play. Past winners of Defensive Rookie of the Year have come from all three levels of the defense, including defensive end Will Anderson Jr., who won the award last season.

Since no defensive player was selected until 15th overall in this year’s draft, it was hard to handicap Defensive Rookie of the Year before the season. Pass rushers Jared Verse and Laiatu Latu have been the rookies to stand out the most early in the season. A few others have also hit the ground running and made an impact. However, it’s still too early to call this race.

That being said, we decided to take a close look at the top defensive rookies through the first month of the season. Even in a wide-open race, what players have the shortest odds and what players remain potential sleepers to win Defensive Rookie of the Year. Here is our breakdown of the top candidates and our current pick to win.

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Odds 2024

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NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Predictions

There are so many different directions for the Defensive Rookie of the Year race to go. Let’s take a look at where the current list of favorites stand and give you our pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024.

Jared Verse - Defensive End, Rams (+310) at FanDuel

Despite collecting just one sack in his first four games, it’s clear that Verse is going to be a great NFL player. His team isn’t playing particularly well, but with 12 solo tackles in his first four games, Verse is still standing out. Even in a losing effort in Week 4, Verse was one of the best players on the field. He emerged as the betting favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year after Week 2, and that remains the case after Week 4.

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Laiatu Latu - Defensive End, Colts (+500) at FanDuel

Latu’s stock has been a rollercoaster in a short period of time. He was the preseason betting favorite, only to fall all the way to +1100 odds after two weeks. However, he’s already worked his way back to +500 odds to be DROTY, behind only Verse. Latu’s numbers aren’t exactly eye-popping at this point. But he does have one sack, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. He’s getting opportunities to play and doing his best to take advantage of them. Of course, the Indianapolis defense hasn’t been that strong this season, which could hurt his Defensive Rookie of the Year chances.

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Dallas Turner - Defensive End, Vikings (+850) at FanDuel

The Vikings have been one of the best stories of the NFL season thus far. Turner looked like he’d be a part of that after getting a sack in Minnesota’s Week 1 victory. However, he’s barely been on the field or done anything of note over the last couple of weeks. That has caused Turner’s DROTY odds to drop from +650 after Week 2 to +850 after Week 4. For the moment, the Vikings have other pass-rushers getting most of the snaps. Turner is too good to remain on the sidelines all season, although a lack of playing time right now is a concern.

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Kamari Lassiter - Cornerback, Texans (+850) at FanDuel

Lassiter’s rise has been impressive to see. He wasn’t on the Defensive Rookie of the Year radar before the season. Yet, two weeks into the season he had +1400 odds. Lassiter has now worked his way up to +850 coming out of Week 4, making him one of the top five contenders for the award. His interception in Week 2 certainly helped Lassiter get noticed, but he’s continued to play well since then. Opposing teams are throwing away from Derek Stingley Jr. and challenging Lassiter. Thus far, he’s been up to the challenge while also getting a chance to prove he warrants serious consideration for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

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Quinyon Mitchell - Cornerback, Eagles (+1400) at FanDuel

Mitchell has been solid and steady through the first month of the season. His DROTY odds haven’t moved much, but he continues to hang around the conversation. He’s already locked down a spot in the starting lineup and was the only player on the Philadelphia defense to play every snap in Week 4. That says a lot about how the Eagles trust him. Of course, he’s been beaten a few times by some talented wide receivers. But his six defended passes in four games have impressed enough to keep him in the DROTY conversation.

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Byron Murphy II - Defensive Tackle, Seahawks (+1500) FanDuel

Murphy was a key part of the Seattle defense during the first two weeks of the season. However, an injury has kept him largely sidelined for the past two weeks. Needless to say, that has caused his odds for Defensive Rookie of the Year to drop. However, that could be a good thing, as Murphy has good value right now at +1500. He just has to find his way back onto the field and pick up where he left off. Based on their 42-29 loss in Week 4, the Seahawks could have used him, which is a sign that Murphy will make his presence felt once he gets back on the field.

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T’Vondre Sweat - Defensive Tackle, Titans (+1600) at FanDuel

The Titans played on Monday night in Week 4 and Sweat stole the show in front of a national audience. After not making much of an impact in the first two weeks of the season, Sweat has become a difference-maker on the Tennessee defense. Keep in mind, the second-round pick won the Outland Trophy at Texas last season, so Sweat making an immediate impact isn’t a huge surprise. While he has a long way to go, he’s clearly on the radar for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

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Who Will Win Defensive Rookie of the Year - My Pick

Jared Verse (+310) at FanDuel

We’re sticking with Verse, who was our preseason pick for Defensive Rookie of the Year at +700. His odds only moved from +320 to +310 between Week 2 and Week 4, so he continues to have good value. The concern with Verse is that another pass rusher will end up with a lot more sacks than him. But whether Verse puts up gaudy numbers or not, it’s clear that he’s already performing at a high level. For now, that’s enough to stick with him as our pick to win Defensive Rookie of the Year.

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Who Won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023?

Will Anderson Jr. of the Texans won Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2023. While Jalen Carter and a few other standout players made it an interesting race throughout the season, Anderson edged out the competition.

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

How to Choose the Best Sportsbook for Betting on Defensive Rookie of the Year

Before you place a bet on NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, make sure you’re using the right sportsbook. Every online sportsbook has different odds, different features, and different promos. This requires a little bit of research before finding the sportsbook that’s right for you.

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How to Read Defensive Rookie of the Year Odds

Barring a heavy favorite, every candidate for Defensive Rookie of the Year will be assigned plus (+) odds. This means that the profit will be greater than the wager if that player wins. For example, if you get $100 on a player with +550 odds, you will profit $550. Of course, if one player is the clear favorite late in the season, he may have negative (-) odds. For instance, if a player has -400 odds, you will need to wager $400 in order to make a $100 profit.