Best Bets For 2022 NFL Defensive Rookie Of The Year

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During the offseason, making NFL predictions helps give fans hope for their favorite teams or favorite players. Items like a team’s win-loss record, breakout candidates and stat line projections can range from spicy hot take mode to downright underwhelming. Another item that is refreshing to look towards? That would involve incoming rookie players.

No matter what sort of hype surrounds certain NFL rookie players, the learning curve is generally steep for most of them. We have seen younger players smoothly step in right away and produce more in recent history. But at the same time, any sort of expectations for rookie players must be tempered heavily.

That leads into today’s question. Who are some of the best bets for NFL rookie of the year awards? Yesterday, we looked into some of the best values for 2022 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, which you can read here. Today, it is time to do the same thing for 2022 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Who holds the best values for DROY? Here are the three best bets. Keep in mind, all odds are provided by Fanduel Sportsbook. Let’s kick it off.

Top Odds

Let’s quickly take a look at the top of the odds and who is on the betting leaderboard for 2022 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Compared to the Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, I felt it was necessary to list more players at the top of the betting leaderboard for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Here are the players that hold the best odds:

• Detroit Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson: +500
• New York Giants DE Kayvon Thibodeaux: +550
• Jacksonville Jaguars EDGE Travon Walker: +600
• Jacksonville Jaguars LB Devin Lloyd: +900
• New York Jets EDGE Jermaine Johnson: +900
• Green Bay Packers LB Quay Walker: +900
• New York Jets CB Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner: +1000
• Baltimore Ravens SAF Kyle Hamilton: +1000
• Houston Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr.: +1000
• Kansas City Chiefs CB Trent McDuffie: +1400
• Philadelphia Eagles LB Nakobe Dean: +1400
• Philadelphia Eagles DT Jordan Davis: +1400
• Buffalo Bills CB Kaiir Elam: +1600
• Kansas City Chiefs DL George Karlaftis: +1600

The Favorite: Detroit Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson- +500 odds

The Michigan Wolverine who got to stay home is the current favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year. In a crowded room of incoming pass rushers, Hutchinson may be the most polished pass rusher of these names. He provides the necessary first-step speed and lateral explosion to create two-way opportunities against opposing offensive tackles. Furthermore, the power at the point of attack is something that Hutchinson can rely on throughout the course of games. With his instincts and understanding of pass rush variety, it is reasonable to think that he could produce noticeably as a rookie.

Detroit has quickly built a rather stout and versatile defensive front in recent seasons. With strength provided by guys like Michael Brockers, the Okwara brothers (Romeo and Julian), Charles Harris and Alim McNeill, Hutchinson could be afforded plenty of advantageous one-on-one looks. Lions’ defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn utilizes both speed and the hope of creating space within his scheme. With Hutchinson, he is a perfect fit for that unit. In terms of production, the rookie defender is well-rounded enough to instill more results than just in the pass rush right away.

Top Contender: New York Giants DE Kayvon Thibodeaux- +550 odds

The next contender comes at a rather slim margin behind Hutchinson. In New York, Thibodeaux will get the chance to work with one of the more respected defensive coordinators in recent NFL history. After many years with the Baltimore Ravens, Don “Wink” Martindale has made the trek up farther into the northeast to serve on a newly minted Giants staff. The options that Martindale utilizes for his pass rushers are endless. We saw that in Baltimore, and it allowed many different play styles to find success with the Ravens. This includes being used as a designated pass rusher on wide angles, as a gap controlling pass rusher, or as power rusher.

With Thibodeaux, his well-versed football awareness and instincts allow him to gain a quick upper hand in the new Giants scheme. It may still take him a small portion of time to become more technically refined as a pass rusher. But, there is no denying the violence and explosiveness that Thibodeaux brings at the point of attack. He and Martindale could become a perfect player-coach pairing. If that materializes quickly, the Oregon product has a real chance of being able to lead the New York pass rush from the get-go, including from a statistical perspective.

Don’t Sleep On: Buffalo Bills CB Kaiir Elam- +1600 odds

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Out of all of the players with longer odds, Bills cornerback Kaiir Elam is the one who NFL fans should not sleep on as a rookie. Lauded for his technique in pass coverage, Elam is a menace at the catch point. He effectively anticipates route combinations early on during reps. At the same time, his foot and eye discipline is something that stood out among other rookie cornerbacks in this particular draft class. From a ball skills perspective, Elam displayed excellent timing with his hands when playing either the receiver or the football.

This team and defense is full of stars. Though, it is challenging to guarantee what we will see from Tre’Davious White in his return from a torn ACL. He appears to be on track to possibly play early in the regular season. Nevertheless, that injury can take considerable time to come back from, especially as a defensive back. If there is anyone that can immediately rebound from it, that would likely be White. However, Buffalo could turn to Elam to provide significant results right away. With his temperament and technique, Elam’s production could certainly skyrocket, especially as his role continues to grow within the Bills defense.

Be on the lookout for more 2022 NFL offseason articles and analysis here at Full Press Coverage.

– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.