A brand new crop of first-year NFL players on the offensive side of the ball are gearing up to make their mark in the upcoming regular season, but only one will catch the eyes of voters when it comes to winning 2017 Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
If you are looking to cash in on the best performance by a NFL rookie this season on the offensive side of the ball, then be sure to check out the most updated betting odds for this NFL futures at BetOnline.
Top Favorite To Win The NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year
The player at the top of the list heading into the 2017 NFL regular season would be Jacksonville’s Leonard Fournette at +250 betting odds. The former LSU standout at running back was the Jaguars’ first round selection with the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft. He was brought in to try and resurrect a running game that was ranked 22nd in the NFL last season as part of an offense that fell to 23rd in total yards.
The Jaguars have nowhere to go but up following a 3-13 record in 2016 and Fournette should have a golden opportunity to show what he can do at the next level right out of the gate. The main concern when it comes to his rookie of the year betting odds are the five guys up front trying to open the holes.
Top Contenders To Win The NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year
The second-best odds on the list for offensive ROY belong to Carolina running back Christian McCaffrey at +375. Given the amount of talent on the Panthers’ offense combined with the overall versatility that McCaffrey demonstrated throughout his entire career at Stanford, I would have to say that there is quite a bit of value in this pick. The focus in Carolina this season after last year’s fall from grace to six wins will be to keep quarterback Cam Newton as healthy as possible. One of the best ways to accomplish this goal would be a healthy dose of McCaffrey running and catching the ball. He also has the potential to make a big impact returning kicks and punts if the Panthers decide to use him on special teams.
Houston’s new quarterback of the future is Clemson’s former superstar Deshaun Watson. His odds to win offensive ROY are set at +600, but he is first going to have to find a way to become the team’s starting quarterback this year. Head coach Bill O’Brien has continually asserted that Tom Savage is the No. 1 guy at that position and until that stance changes the betting value in Watson’s inflated odds is not that high.
Top Longshot To Win The NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year
The betting odds to win offensive ROY drop off from there with Minnesota running back Dalvin Cook at +1000 followed by Cincinnati’s Joe Mixon and Cleveland’s DeShone Kizer at +1200. I am going to stretch these odds a bit further with Tampa Bay tight end OJ Howard at +2000 as my top rookie longshot.
While it is probably a major reach to think that a tight end can garner a ROY award given the list of past winners, Howard is no ordinary tight end. As the 19th overall pick in this year’s draft, the former Alabama All-American brings a very diverse skill set into the next level of his career and at 6-foot-6, 251 lbs. he suddenly becomes a huge target for Jameis Winston in Tampa Bay’s offense.
The Buccaneers also added veteran wide receiver DeSean Jackson as a deep threat in the passing game to go along with All-Pro Mike Evans, but it would be easy to see Howard catching quite a few balls as a rookie with a third-year quarterback looking for a quick outlet when the pressure gets dialed up.
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