Here is a table of players sorted by the best odds to win Defensive Rookie of the Year as of May 2026.
| Player | Team | Position | Odds (DraftKings) |
| David Bailey | New York Jets | EDGE | +500 |
| Rueben Bain Jr. | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | EDGE | +500 |
| Arvell Reese | New York Giants | LB/EDGE | +650 |
| Sonny Styles | Washington Commanders | LB | +750 |
| Mansoor Delane | Kansas City Chiefs | CB | +850 |
| Caleb Downs | Dallas Cowboys | S | +850 |
| Akheem Mesidor | Los Angeles Chargers | LB | +1300 |
| CJ Allen | Indianapolis Colts | LB | +2000 |
| Malachi Lawrence | Dallas Cowboys | LB | +2000 |
| Dillon Thieneman | Chicago Bears | S | +2000 |
Here are the leading candidates to win the 2026 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, according to odds provided by DraftKings.
Draft Pick: No. 2 overall
The Good: Bailey is the clear favorite for good reason. He led all of college football in sacks last season and was the most polished pass rusher in this draft class. The Jets finished dead last in the AFC in sacks in 2025, generating just 26 as a team, which means Bailey will be unleashed from Day 1 with every opportunity to pile up numbers. Defensive-minded head coach Aaron Glenn will build his scheme around Bailey's strengths, and the Jets brought in former Bengals edge rusher Joseph Ossai to line up opposite him, which should prevent offenses from shading all of their protection toward Bailey's side.
The Bad: The Jets are expected to be one of the worst teams in the league, which could limit Bailey's national exposure. Voters tend to favor players on competitive teams.
Draft Pick: No. 15 overall
The Good: Bain is the most pro-ready edge rusher not named David Bailey in this class. He's an elite run defender who also brings legitimate pass-rush ability, and he lands in a Todd Bowles defense that has a long history of maximizing edge talent. Bowles' scheme is built to generate pressure, and Bain should see significant snaps on every obvious passing down from the start.
The Bad: Bain's 9.5 college sacks are strong but not elite compared to Bailey's 14.5. If both produce similar rookie sack totals, Bailey's higher draft capital and status as the No. 2 overall pick could sway voters. Bain also didn't test as an elite athlete at the combine, which raises questions about his long-speed and ability to win consistently against NFL tackles.
Draft Pick: No. 5 overall
The Good: Reese is the most versatile defensive player in this class. New head coach John Harbaugh described his role as "positionless," noting that Reese will line up at inside linebacker, in the A gap, the B gap, the C gap, and off the edge. That kind of deployment means Reese could rack up stats across multiple categories, from tackles and TFLs to sacks and coverage plays.
The Bad: Reese was a one-year starter at Ohio State, which raises questions about his consistency at the NFL level. His versatility is also a double-edged sword. If the Giants move him around too much early on, he may not dominate in any one statistical category the way voters like to see. Edge rushers who pile up sacks have a cleaner narrative than a jack-of-all-trades linebacker.
Draft Pick: No. 7 overall
The Good: Sonny Styles is one of the most physically gifted defensive players to enter the NFL in years. Comparisons to Brian Urlacher have followed him throughout the draft process, and it's easy to see why. At 6-foot-4, 228 pounds, Styles has rare size and speed for an off-ball linebacker. Dan Quinn's defensive scheme in Washington is built for a player exactly like Styles. Both in Seattle and Washington, Quinn has thrived with an athletic, alpha linebacker at the heart of his defense, and Bobby Wagner filled that role at an elite level. Styles steps into that same role immediately.
The Bad: Off-ball linebackers rarely win this award. Since 2010, only three have done it: Schwesinger, Shaquille Leonard, and Luke Kuechly. All three had historically dominant statistical seasons with 150-plus tackles, 10-plus TFLs, and multiple interceptions. Styles would need to produce at that level to overcome the positional bias toward edge rushers.
Draft Pick: No. 25 overall
The Good: Thieneman lands on a competitive Bears team that made the playoffs last season. Playing in meaningful games on a winning team gives him more exposure than most players at this price point. If the Bears' defense takes a step forward with Thieneman as a key contributor, the narrative writes itself. At +2000, you're getting a first-round safety on a playoff-caliber team.
The Bad: Same positional bias that hurts all defensive backs. Thieneman would need multiple interceptions and splash plays to crack the top of the conversation. The Bears defense already has established veterans, which could limit Thieneman's individual stat accumulation.
Draft Pick: No. 43 overall
The Good: Rodriguez's college resumé is staggering. The counting stats are absurd, and his path to DROY mirrors Carson Schwesinger's from last season. If Rodriguez racks up 150-plus tackles, double-digit TFLs, and a few turnovers, he'll be in the conversation regardless of what the pass rushers do. The Schwesinger blueprint proved that an off-ball linebacker can win this award with overwhelming volume.
The Bad: The Dolphins are expected to be one of the worst teams in the league, which limits Rodriguez's national exposure and could see him playing from behind in garbage time. His Day 2 draft capital also works against him in voter perception.
Draft Pick: No. 35 overall
The Good: Parker was the headliner of Buffalo's deep defensive draft class. The Bills are expected to be one of the best teams in the league, which means Parker will play in meaningful games all season and get national exposure through Bills playoff coverage. If he emerges as a consistent pass-rush threat alongside an already strong Buffalo defense, 6-plus sacks could put him in the conversation. At +6000, the payout would be enormous.
The Bad: Parker wasn't a first-round pick, which limits his guaranteed playing time. He'll need to earn his snaps, and in a deep Bills defensive rotation, he may not see the volume needed to win the award.
Bailey is the safest play on the board. He has the production, the draft capital, the positional advantage, and the guaranteed playing time. The only concern is team quality, but if Bailey hits 10-plus sacks on a bad Jets team, he'll win the award the way Chase Young did on a mediocre Washington team in 2020.
Downs is the most talented player at his position in this class, and the Cowboys' coaching infrastructure under Christian Parker is built to maximize defensive backs. The NFC East spotlight gives him maximum exposure, and if Dallas' defense improves, Downs will get credit. Safeties rarely win this award, but Downs has the tools to be the exception.
Rodriguez followed the exact statistical blueprint that Schwesinger used to win DROY last season. If he can replicate that at the NFL level, +2000 is a massive payout. The risk is the Dolphins' team quality, but the upside is enormous.