2026-27 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Odds

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When looking to place a bet on the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year market, it’s important to consider the type of situation these rookies are walking into. The last five NFL DROY winners all benefitted from situations in which they weren’t asked to “be the man” in every single game right away.

Last season’s winner, Browns LB Carson Schwesinger, was able to rack up huge numbers considering most opposing defenses were often double-teaming, or triple-teaming Myles Garrett.

The year prior, Rams LB Jared Verse benefitted from the emergence of fellow rookie Braden Fiske (DT) and new defensive coordinator Chris Shula put Verse in the perfect spot to shine. Fiske (8.5 sacks) actually had nearly double the amount of sacks as Verse (4.5 sacks) in 2024, but Verse got the nod for NFL DROY due to the fact that he placed fourth in the entire NFL (not just rookies) in quarterback pressures. The Rams were also on national TV a lot during the 2024 season, due to their status as a title contender.

Here are the other recent winners who played with circumstances that greatly benefited their chance at winning the award.

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• Will Anderson Jr. (2023): DeMeco Ryans was hired as head coach of the Texans in 2023 and his first pick was Anderson at No. 3 overall. Opposing teams had to first contend with LB that season (Greenard had a whopping 12.5 sacks that season), allowing Ryans to rack up his own impressive numbers.