NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year award

While pass-rushers tend to win the day and they certainly do the most to catch the eye, defensive backs and middle linebackers have won the award in recent history and that is reflected in the Defensive Rookie of the Year betting list available on vegasodds.com.

There isn't even an outright favorite with both Dallas Turner and Laiatu Latu being listed as joint frontrunners by most sites, so this is going to be one of the most exciting races to watch.

Turner vs Latu

If it does come down to these two then it's hard to pick between them at this stage of the season. Their college stats are eerily similar when it comes to sack numbers and even TFL (which are good as a sack but that's a conversation for another time), so you need to dig a little deeper and look at the teams around them.

There's a lot to like about Dallas Turner's situation in Minnesota. He's going to play for an elite DC in Brian Flores who likes to be aggressive but also knows how to get the best out of his players. The departure of Danielle Hunter will hurt the defense but it also opens up a spot for Turner to make an impact straight away, even if he's not listed as a starter yet on ESPN's depth chart. If anything that could boost his productivity as a role player where any deficiencies won't be immediately exposed, and he could make several impact plays to allow him to stand out.

As for Latu, he's coming into a Colts defense that was ranked 22nd in pressure rate last season and that needs to improve, so there are clearly high hopes that the rookie will have a major part to play in that happening. He was seen as the top rusher in the class and figures to be an immediate part of the rotation, while Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeyingbo are both set to become free agents at the end of the season so if the UCLA star can shine instantly, then there's every incentive to polish him up as the long term answer at the position.

Who else has to be considered?

Further back in the betting list you can find Jared Verse as the third favorite, but he's also being tasked with filling the shoes of Aaron Donald so perhaps those deeply unfavorable comparisons could be a curse at this stage of his career. Chop Robinson was a popular pick in Miami and he'll likely see more playing time after the somewhat shocking retirement of Shaq Barrett ahead of the new season starting.

Byron Murphy is the highest-listed DT and should feature prominently in the Seahawk's defense, but it's a position that doesn't create a lot of standout plays and the division features two, potentially even three high-powered offenses which could also make it tougher for him.

We have to talk about Cooper DeJean

Cooper DeJean is seen as an outsider to win the award and he's well behind fellow DBs Quinyon Mitchell and Terrion Arnold in the current lists, but he's already created plenty of interest and perhaps even a cult following as a white cornerback in the NFL. He's already made it clear that his race doesn't play a part in anything for him and any talk of transitioning to safety seems to be hushed for a while. DeJean will get plenty of attention this season on his play and that may also hurt his chances too.