2026 Defensive Rookie of the Year best bet rankings: How we rate the field, plus three longshots to consider
We rank our top 10 Defensive Rookie of the Year bets in the market and highlight three sleepers worth a look
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Carson Schwesinger ran away with the Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2025 despite not being a first-round pick, and of the four players to receive first-place votes, none was drafted higher than 26th overall. Of the three (well, two and a half) defensive players to go in the top five, only Abdul Carter received any DROY votes.
Will this year's race be different, or will we see a DROY race defined by fringe first-round talent once again? Four defensive players were taken in the top seven, and two more went by the 15th pick. The eventual winner is most likely to come from those six players, and they represent the six with the shortest odds at most sportsbooks. Interestingly, the player leading the race at some is the one picked the latest: Bucs pass rusher Rueben Bain Jr.
We're going to share our top 10 bets to consider in the Defensive Rookie of the Year race along with three extreme longshots (+10000 or longer) below.
So who gets the top spot as the best Defensive Rookie of the Year bet this season? And which longshots are worth considering? ... Join SportsLine here to see R.J. White's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year best bet rankings for 2026!
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