When taking a look ahead at the 2025 NFL season, the Rookie of the Year bets are some of my favorite ones to follow throughout the season. Not only does it give us a reason to hone in on watching some young talent burst onto the scene, but it also creates a compelling argument for and against each of the top players from the class. Let’s take a peek into some of my favorites on each side of the ball to win Offensive Rookie of the Year (OROY) and Defensive Rookie of the Year (DROY).
2025 NFL Futures Picks: Offensive Rookie of the Year (OROY) & Defensive Rookie of the Year (DROY)
Offensive Rookie of the Year Picks
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders (+270 via FanDuel Sportsbook)
Ashton Jeanty opened as the clear betting favorite and for good reason. Jeanty is coming off a historic season at Boise State, which earned him elite draft capital for the position. While I understand the allure here, I’m a bit more hesitant than most when it comes to betting on him. For starters, a running back has not won the OROY award since 2018, when Saquon Barkley took home the hardware. That said, Barkley was in a similar position to Jeanty with limited competition. Baker Mayfield came in second in voting, and the third-place finisher was offensive guard Quenton Nelson.
Jeanty enters a questionable offense, to say the least, furthering my concerns, but again, looking back at Barkley’s 2017 season with the Giants when they had the 31st-ranked offense in football, it did not matter for him either. Ashton Jeanty is the favorite for a reason and I have no reason to truly fade the play here.
Cam Ward, QB, Tennessee Titans (+350 via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Cam Ward is the top quarterback on the list, and this award has gone to the quarterback position in four of the last six seasons. Landing in Tennessee, Ward is expected to be the starter and may compile enough stats here to take this award away from Jeanty. With the news that Will Levis will be undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery, Ward has seemingly no competition at the position. This is great for him, as he will likely get all the first-team reps, which will help him build rapport with his receiving core.
The Titans’ offense will likely need to pass more, as they finished just 23rd in pass attempts in 2024. But the addition of Ward, as opposed to Levis and Mason Rudolph behind center, as well as receiving options Tyler Lockett, Xavier Restrepo, Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike, shows a clear desire that this team wants to focus on moving the ball through the air, which will do wonders for Ward’s chances of winning.
Tyler Shough, QB, New Orleans Saints (+1400 via FanDuel Sportsbook)
Tyler Shough is one of the few longshots who intrigues me here, and it stems back to the recent history of quarterbacks winning the award. Shough will be a 26-year-old rookie, which isn’t ideal but he’s entering a team that never wants to rebuild and alongside minimal competition at the quarterback position, given Derek Carr‘s recent retirement. It’s clear that passing is the way forward for the Saints, with Chris Olave and Alvin Kamara back and healthy. They also gave Shough more weapons with Brandin Cooks and Donovan Peoples-Jones. New head coach Kellen Moore has run multiple high-level passing offenses as an offensive coordinator in his career, and I don’t think it’s wild to assume much of the same will occur. Does Shough have the talent to win the award? I personally don’t think so, but sometimes just compiling stats is enough and I think he can do that.
Honorable Mentions:
- TreVeyon Henderson, RB, New England Patriots (+2200)
- RJ Harvey, RB, Denver Broncos (+2200)
- Emeka Egbuka, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+4000)
Defensive Rookie of the Year Picks
Abdul Carter, DE, New York Giants (+250 via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Abdul Carter was the best player in the class on the defensive side of the ball, in my opinion. He is the clear betting favorite and for good reason. Carter joins a Giants defense that has plenty of talent and should ease the pressure to become an immediate difference maker, which can be heavy for a third overall pick. With Carter’s skill set, he can immediately contribute to the pass rush and in coverage. His flexibility on the defensive side of the ball is what I believe gives him an edge here over other candidates, because he’ll be able to compile a unique set of stats that many of the other edge prospects likely won’t be able to match.
Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (+1200 via DraftKings Sportsbook)
Travis Hunter is the only other player I have any interest in betting on this side of the ball, and that’s largely due to just the name value he brings. Hunter, to me, was a much better corner than wide receiver in college and would be best served by focusing on the defensive side of the ball. His coverage and ball skills can help make him an elite shutdown corner, who I think could sneakily set the NFL record for defensive touchdowns if all goes his way. He’s likely going to be matched up against elite wide receivers most of the season as well, which is going to help his case for this award. If anyone is going to take this award away from Carter, I think it’s going to be Hunter.
Honorable Mentions:
- Mason Graham, DT, Cleveland Browns (+1200)
- Walter Nolen, DT, Arizona Cardinals (+2500)
- Nick Emmanwori, S, Seattle Seahawks (+3000)
Thanks for reading my picks for the 2025 NFL OROY and DROY Futures! Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter/X @Parry_FF for more sports & entertainment content, and check out our entertainment betting show, “Popcorn & Root Beer,” on our YouTube channel!
*Photo Credit: Steve Roberts – USA TODAY Sports*
