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Cam Ward, Jalon Walker among early betting favorites to win Rookie of the Year awards
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Former Miami quarterback Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick by the Tennessee Titans on Thursday night, is the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year next season, according to odds at bet365.
Ward is priced at +260 to capture the award and just narrowly edges out tailback Ashton Jeanty (+270), who was drafted sixth overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the opening round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Former Colorado wideout Travis Hunter is +650 to win Offensive Rookie of the Year at bet365.
The sportsbook also gives Hunter +900 odds to win the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2025. Hunter is expected to play on both sides of the football next season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, though he isn’t among the top 3 favorites for the defensive award.
That honor belongs to Abdul Carter (+230), the outright favorite. The New York Giants selected the former Penn State star with the No. 3 pick in Thursday night’s opening round.
Behind Carter, bet365 listed a pair of Georgia defenders as the next-most-likely recipients of the defensive award. Jalon Walker, selected 15th overall by the Atlanta Falcons, is +600 to be the Defensive Rookie of the Year. Mykel Williams, the 11th pick by the 49ers, is priced at +850.
Ward and Jeanty are co-favorites at DraftKings. Both books have Hunter, former Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan, and former North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton as the next-closest threats to win the award.
Hunter and Williams have identical odds at DraftKings (+850) to be named Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Last season, neither award was claimed by the preseason favorite. Former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels beat out Caleb Williams for the offensive honor. And former Florida State defender Jared Verse beat out former Alabama linebacker Dallas Turner for the defensive award.
According to ESPN’s Doug Greenberg, former Tennessee tailback Alvin Kamara is the biggest longshot by preseason odds to eventually win the OROY award since 2009. Kamara entered his winning season with +5000 odds.
At bet365, both Jaxson Dart and Shedeur Sanders have +2200 odds to win OROY. Dart was taken in the first round by the New York Giants on Thursday night. Sanders slipped out of the first round and has yet to be selected.
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Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
