5 best bets for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year

3. Montez Sweat +1700

Montez Sweat is another player that’s seen his odds go all over the map, but right now is some of the best odds you can get on him. The big reason Sweat might be falling down the betting line is his team is likely going to be terrible. The Washington Redskins are still reeling from the Alex Smith injury, and they are missing some major pieces to stay competitive.

Sweat is an extremely emotional player. Word out of Redskins camp is the veterans are taking Sweat under their wing to keep him focused. He’s been getting frustrated, but the vets are making it a teaching moment for him. He’s not going to dominate offensive lines like he did in college.

If he plays this entire season with a chip on his shoulder, the NFL needs to watch out. He was considered a top-ten pick in the NFL Draft, but he fell all the way to 26th overall. We’ve seen that happen every year, and some players use that to propel themselves for the rest of their career. Tom Brady still talks about falling to the 6th round.

Sweat is extremely talented, and has all the skills that puts him on the radar for awards voters. He had double digit sacks in the extremely competitive SEC in both his years playing for Mississippi State. He showed he could play very well against NFL talent (although he didn’t do well either time he played Alabama). He had sacks in 17 of 21 games to finish his college career. Once he gets rolling, he’s almost impossible to stop.

It also helps that he gets to play the Giants offensive line twice this season. Sweat can overpower lesser players right now without experience. If these vets can get him to focus, then we could see a player pass double-digit sacks in his first season in the league.

At 17/1, that’s a really good bet to make. The odds that it goes to a pass rusher in a draft that focused on the inside presence is actually pretty good.