With rookie minicamp now in session, the discussion about who the best defensive rookie will be is heating up.
The top of the draft was stacked with superstar-potential talent on the defensive side of the ball. David Bailey, Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs, Mansoor Delane, Rueben Bain Jr. and more make it one of the most stacked defensive classes at the top in recent history.
Several positions have won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award in recent history. Last year, it was Cleveland Browns' off-ball linebacker Carson Schwesinger who took home the hardware after he recorded 156 tackles and had two interceptions.
Pass-rushers Will Anderson and Jared Verse won in 2023 and 2024, respectively, while cornerback Sauce Gardner earned the award in 2022. Even defensive tackles Sheldon Richardson and Aaron Donald have won it within the past 13 years.
Unlike the MVP award that tends to exclusively go to quarterbacks, and the Offensive Player of the Year award that is usually awarded to the best skill position player, the defensive awards don't show bias to any position.
This makes it an intriguing market with plenty of names to choose from. Evaluating each rookie's situation with their team is important. Let's take a look at the odds for the top-ten favorites to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award, with odds provided by bet365:
Rueben Bain Jr. | +475 |
David Bailey | +500 |
Arvell Reese | +750 |
Caleb Downs | +750 |
Sonny Styles | +850 |
Mansoor Delane | +900 |
Akheem Mesidor | +1200 |
Jacob Rodriguez | +1400 |
CJ Allen | +2000 |
Dillon Thieneman | +2000 |
Malachi Lawrence | +2200 |
Tampa Bay's No. 15 overall pick Rueben Bain Jr. is the favorite to win the defensive Rookie of the Year award in the 2026 season.
Bain Jr. should step in nicely as one of the Bucs' premier pass-rushers, joining a room that includes Yaya Diaby, Elijah Roberts, and SirVocea Dennis. He'll have tons of pass-rush snaps that make his ceiling pretty high as a DROY candidate.
New York Jets No. 2 overall pick David Bailey is the second favorite to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year, with his odds set at +500. With Jermaine Johnson II now in Tennessee, Bailey will most-likely immediately jump into the started EDGE rusher role alongside Will McDonald IV. With plenty of opportunities looming to rush the passer and rack up sacks, there's no doubt that Bailey deserves to be the preseason favorite.
New York Giants No. 5 overall pick Arvell Reese and Dallas Cowboys safety Caleb Downs are tied-third, priced at +600.
Reese joins a crowded and talented EDGE rusher room that includes Abdul Carter, Brian Burns, and Kayvon Thibodeaux, but his off-ball capabilities as a middle linebacker will be put on display.
It's a risk taking Reese with all those other pass-rushers bound to take away some opportunities to get after the quarterback, but he'll certainly rack up plenty of tackles in the middle of the field.
A safety hasn't won the award since Mark Carrier in 1990 with the Chicago Bears, but if Downs can help turn a porous 2025 Cowboys defense into a decent one, he should get some recognition.
Washington Commanders linebacker Sonny Styles (+850), and Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Mansoor Delane (+900) are the rest of the candidates with odds shorter than +1000.
Styles is projected to rack up plenty of tackles in Washington, and the hype surrounding the player has grown consistently after a dominant combine showing.
Delane could start out his career being matched up against whoever the opposing team's No. 1 receiver is after Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson departed in the offseason. A few interceptions and some lockdown performances could generate some DROY hype for him.
Los Angeles Chargers pass-rusher Akheem Mesidor (+1200) and Cowboys Malachi Lawrence No. 23 overall pick (+2200) have plenty of potential to generate double-digit sack seasons, with Mesidor potentially being a good look due to his pro-ready age of 25 years old.
Read about the top-ten Offensive Rookie of the Year odds on site.
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All odds in this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.
