As the NFL pre-season gets underway, fans are getting their first real look at the NFL Draft class of 2014 in action on the field. Accompanying the debut of the NFL’s next generation of stars is a full slate of betting odds on who will emerge as this year’s top offensive and defensive rookies.
Selected first overall by the Houston Texans, it is no surprise that linebacker Jadeveon Clowney has emerged as a strong favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. The 21 year-old, who played his college ball at the University of South Carolina, sports odds of 12/5.
However, concerns still exist about Clowney’s health after it was revealed that he played much of last season while suffering from a sports hernia, which required surgery to repair prior to the start of training camp. While Clowney has been taking it slow through camp, he is expected to be 100% in time for the Texans’ regular season opener against the Washington Redskins.
Khalil Mack trails Clowney in props wagering to be named the NFL’s top defensive rookie, with odds of 5/1. A 23 year-old linebacker out of the University of New York at Buffalo, Mack was selected fifth overall by the Oakland Raiders in the 2014 NFL Draft.
St. Louis Rams’ defensive tackle Aaron Donald and Pittsburgh Steelers’ LB Ryan Shazier round out the list of favorites, each with odds of 9/1.
On the other side of the ball, Buffalo Bills’ wide receiver Sammy Watkins is pegged as a 9/2 favorite to be named Offensive Rookie of the Year. The 2014 Orange Bowl MVP was taken fourth overall by the Bills at this year’s draft, and is expected to form a offensive dynamic duo with second-year quarterback EJ Manuel.
Watkins is followed closely by WR Mike Evans, who was selected seventh overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 2013 All-American out of Texas A&M sports odds of 5/1 to finish the season as the NFL’s top rookie.
The Cleveland Browns are hoping that rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel is as adept at kickstarting an offense as he is at garnering endorsement deals. A former teammate of Evans’ at Texas A&M, Manziel is a 6/1 bet to take home Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, but will have his hands full trying to turn around a Browns offense that scored just 19.2 points per game in 2013.
[In collaboration with Anna Weston]
