With Week One of the 2022 NFL season in the books, we continue our search for valuable futures with the Defensive Rookie of the year Award.
Defensive players were highly regarded during the 2022 NFL Draft, so much so that the first five overall picks were all defenders.
Now, let’s get into it!
Travon Walker (LB) +500
+1400 as of 10/21/22
The first overall pick of the 2022 draft is the current favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year. Dominating as a run defender at Georgia in college, Walker was drafted with the first pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars where he is expected to continue blocking the run. One of the big questions facing Walker during preseason was if the linebacker could improve on his pass rushing. In Week One during the first game of his NFL career, Travon Walker recorded a sack and an interception against Washington, pushing him into his current favorite status.
Aidan Hutchinson (DE) +600
+1400 as of 10/21/22
Perhaps the biggest name to be drafted in the NFL offseason, Aidan Hutchinson has some huge expectations set for him this season. The second overall pick was drafted by the Detroit Lions and was the standout favorite to win the Defensive Rookie of the year Award for most of the offseason. The rookie defensive end has everything a player at his position needs: speed, strength, an extremely high motor and more. In his senior season at the University of Michigan, the Wolverine recorded an elite 14 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. While Hutchinson had a forgetful debut against the Eagles in Week One, I’m all over Hutchinson to win this year’s award at +600 odds.
Kayvon Thibodeaux (DE) +800
+1200 as of 10/21/22
Drafted with the fifth overall pick by the New York Giants, defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux is here. Thibodeaux’s main strength on the defensive side of the ball comes in the form of pass rushing. In his three years as an Oregon Duck the DE earned a 90.9 pass rush grade (1st), 87.8 PFF grade (1st in PAC-12 DEs), and a 19% pass rush win rate (1st). If he can translate these types of numbers into the NFL, Kayvon Thibodeaux is destined for one hell of a season.
Kyle Hamilton (S) +1600
+5000 as of 10/21/22
Selected with the 14th overall pick by the Baltimore Ravens, I believe that safety Kyle Hamilton has an extremely high ceiling. What makes Hamilton so special is his versatility for a defensive back. During his time as part of the Notre Dame secondary in college, Hamilton did it all: hard hits, run defense, pass defense, ability to cover both tight ends and wide receivers. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has stated that we can expect to see the rookie “play in a lot of different spots” this season.
While it’s possible that his rookie year won't be his breakout season, I can see Kyle Hamilton becoming one of the big-name safeties in the NFL in years to come and a +1600 price tag is always worth a look.
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On most sportsbooks, you’ll find Defensive Rookie of the Year in the NFL section under a title like “Awards” or “Season Awards”.
This is a Futures pick, so you can expect it to be in your active bets till the end of the season!
