After breaking down the Offensive Rookie of the Year race earlier this week, it's time to turn our attention to the Defensive Rookie of the Year award as we continue to dive into 2023 NFL futures. The award features co-favorites in No. 3 overall pick Will Anderson and No. 9 overall pick Jalen Carter at +550. Next up are two more top-10 picks in Tyree Wilson (+650) and Devon Witherspoon (+700) in what's projected to be a wide-open competition for the award.
Last year, Sauce Gardner had just two interceptions but led the league with 20 passes defensed, and that was enough to make him the Defensive Rookie of the Year winner with 46 of 50 first-place votes. Lions pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson finished second in the voting after recording 9.5 sacks. Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen, a fifth-round draft pick who was in nobody's mind as a potential award winner prior to the season, finished third in the voting after recording six interceptions (returning one for a touchdown) with 16 passes defensed and three fumble recoveries.
I'll dig more into what recent history regarding award winners means for our strategy, break down the field for Defensive Rookie of the Year below and identify who I think makes the most sense to back, including some longshots I think could be worth small-sized plays. But first, let's look at the full list of odds.
| Player | Odds | Player | Odds | |
| Jalen Carter | +500 | BJ Ojulari | +4000 | |
| Will Anderson Jr. | +500 | Kelee Ringo | +4000 | |
| Tyree Wilson | +650 | Derick Hall | +5000 | |
| Devon Witherspoon | +700 | Tuli Tuipulotu | +5000 | |
| Lukas Van Ness | +1000 | Keeanu Benton | +5000 | |
| Christian Gonzalez | +1000 | Gervon Dexter Sr. | +5000 | |
| Jack Campbell | +1500 | Jartavius Martin | +5000 | |
| Emmanuel Forbes | +1500 | DJ Turner | +6000 | |
| Nolan Smith | +2000 | Tyrique Stevenson | +6000 | |
| Calijah Kancey | +2000 | Daiyan Henley | +6000 | |
| Joey Porter Jr. | +2200 | Isaiah Foskey | +6000 | |
| Deonte Banks | +2200 | Zacch Pickens | +6000 | |
| Will McDonald IV | +2500 | DJ Johnson | +7500 | |
| Brian Branch | +3000 | Noah Sewell | +7500 | |
| Myles Murphy | +3000 | Kobie Turner | +7500 | |
| Mazi Smith | +3000 | Nick Herbig | +7500 | |
| Felix Anudike-Uzomah | +3000 | Dorian Williams | +7500 | |
| Drew Sanders | +3000 | Payton Wilson | +7500 | |
| Keion White | +4000 | Siaki Ika | +7500 | |
| Bryan Bresee | +4000 | Marte Mapu | +10000 | |
| Byron Young | +4000 | Riley Moss | +10000 | |
| Cam Smith | +4000 | Garrett Williams | +10000 | |
| Trenton Simpson | +4000 | DeMarvion Overshown | +10000 |
Which favorites are worth playing to win Defensive Rookie of the Year, and which should be faded? And which candidates make for the best values to take home the award? ... Join SportsLine right now to see NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year futures betting strategy from SportsLine's No. 1 NFL expert!
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