2025 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year June Odds: Breakdown & Value Picks - July 7
All odds provided by Betway.
2025 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Betting Odds
| Player | July 7 Odds |
| Abdul Carter, Edge (NYG) | +250 |
| Jalon Walker, LB/Edge (ATL) | +750 |
| Mykel Williams, Edge (SF) | +750 |
| Travis Hunter, CB/WR (JAX) | +900 |
| Mason Graham, DT (CLE) | +1,200 |
| Mike Green, Edge (BAL) | +1,200 |
| Shemar Stewart, Edge (CIN) | +1,400 |
| Jihaad Campbell, MLB (PHI) | +1,600 |
| Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge (DAL) | +2,000 |
| James Pearce Jr., Edge (ATL) | +2,000 |
| Malaki Starks, S (BAL) | +2,000 |
| Walter Nolen, DT (ARI) | +2,000 |
| Jahdae Barron, S (DEN) | +2,200 |
| Will Johnson, CB (ARI) | +2,500 |
| Maxwell Hairston, CB (BUF) | +3,000 |
| JT Tuimoloau, Edge (IND) | +3,300 |
The Favorites
Abdul Carter, Edge, New York Giants (+250): The Giants are likely to be a middle of the road or bottom of the barrel team this year, but it won’t be because of their defense. With Dexter Lawrence and Brian Burns eating up double teams, Carter could really put up some insane pass-rushing numbers this year. We love everything about Carter here—except his odds, which are the shortest among all the favorites for next year’s major NFL awards.
Jalon Walker, LB, Atlanta Falcons (+750): The Georgia linebacker hybrid is a very interesting case. He can seemingly play off the ball just as well as he can rush the passer, which is an extremely rare combination of skills for one to have in the NFL. If Walker can force turnovers and get to the passer, he’s got a great chance to play spoiler here. He just has to hope Atlanta’s other rookie edge rusher, James Pearce Jr., doesn’t steal too much of his shine.
Mykel Williams, Edge, San Francisco 49ers (+900): With Nick Bosa manning the other side, Mykel Williams is unlikely to see a double-team all year. Like with Carter, that will mean a lot of chances to win one-on-ones. However, we’re just not sure he’s going to rack up the sack numbers he needs. He never had more than 5.0 in a season in college.
Travis Hunter, CB/WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (+900): If it’s not going to be Carter, Travis Hunter is our next best bet. And we’re surprised he’s offering so much on sports betting sites. He’s expected to play a full complement of snaps on defense while picking his spots on offense, yet he’s got shorter odds to win OROY (+750) than DROY (+900). The value is excellent here.
Long Shot Value Bets
- James Pearce Jr., Edge, Atlanta Falcons (+2,000): Seeing as how James Pearce Jr. had the longest odds among first-round edge rushers, we figured he would be a nice value dart throw here. We would wait to see how he and Walker develop alongside each other before pulling the trigger here, however.
- Will Johnson, CB, Arizona Cardinals (+2,500): Cornerbacks are making a return to relevance at the awards shows recently with a CB winning DPOY last year and Sauce Gardner winning this award in 2022. Johnson is one of the better CB prospects we’ve seen coming out of college in recent years. If no edge guys really impress, Johnson could steal this one.
