2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year odds (Opportunity at edge rusher)
By Josh Yourish
New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner wasn’t even the first cornerback off the board in the 2022 NFL draft, but he was the clear choice for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Gardner was the first cornerback since Marshon Lattimore in 2017 to win the award. This draft was a bit more quarterback heavy than 2022, so there aren’t as many highly drafted defensive players, but there’s plenty of young talent on that side of the ball.
Let’s get into the odds for Defensive Rookie of the Year, and I’ll let you know who I’m betting to win the award.
2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year odds
Defensive Rookie of the Year best bet
With Defensive Rookie of the Year the most talented rookie pretty much always wins out in the end.
Sauce Gardner won last year, Micah Parsons took it home in 2021 and Chase Young did in 2020. However, opportunity also matters. Will Anderson Jr. was the top edge rusher drafted when Houston traded back up to get him at No. 3, but he’s not the edge I’m interested in.
Houston has no other edge rushers of significance. 34-year-old Jerry Hughes is their next best pass rusher, so Anderson Jr. will see a ton of double teams and I’m not sure he has the length to consistently keep tackles and guards off of him.
Anderson will be good, but he’ll draw a lot of attention and might not rack up many sacks or tackles for loss.
The same goes for Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith who are just pieces of a loaded defensive line in Philadelphia.
The situation is quite a bit better in Las Vegas for Tyree Wilson to explode in his first season. Maxx Crosby will play every snap on the other side and will draw all of the double teams.
Crosby is the most underrated edge rusher in the game. Wilson isn’t as good as Anderson or Carter, but he’ll have 1-on-1 opportunities all year and he may even clean up a couple of sacks where Crosby blows up the play and forces the quarterback right into his arms.
Defensive Rookie of the Yeah dark horse bet
No. 1 and No. 2 in DROY voting last season were Sauce Gardner and Tariq Woolen. Both long armed rangy cornerbacks who quickly took over the role of No. 1 corner for their team. Christian Gonzalez is a candidate to do that, but Joey Porter Jr. fits that mold even better and at better odds.
JPJ won’t be scared of the NFL because he spent his entire childhood in the Pittsburgh Steelers facility with his dad, so there won’t be much of a learning curve for the lanky corner.
The Steelers are very thin at corner and will need to start JPJ from Day 1. There’s even a good chance that Patrick Peterson starts to fall off at his advanced age and Porter Jr. is the top guy in the Pittsburgh secondary.
The Steelers led the league in interceptions last season and while a lot of their defense has turned over, Teryl Austin, their defensive coordinator, will implement the same system that caused opposing quarterbacks so much trouble a year ago.
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