Now that the NFL draft is over, it’s time to regroup and devote some attention to the NFL futures market.
Let’s start with the Offensive Rookie Of The Year.
(All betting odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.)
Anthony Richardson Offensive Rookie Of The Year (+900)
Nobody climbed the pre-draft board more than Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson. Richardson is a hulking figure at 6-foot-4 and nearly 250 pounds. He also ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at his workouts and had plenty of impressive tape playing against the top competition in the SEC. As always, the NFL draft produces a vast array of rumors and scuttlebutt. One narrative was that fellow SEC QB, Kentucky’s Will Levis, would be selected by the Colts at No. 4 overall. Most pundits considered Levis more polished than Richardson, who has the raw talent. It remains to be seen if that is true, but the Colts still couldn’t deny Richardson’s size or ability and made the right decision in my opinion. The Colts already have one of the best running games in the league with stud running back Jonathan Taylor. With Richardson’s running ability to go alongside his dynamic arm, paired with the menial AFC South competition, Richardson should make an immediate impact on the fast-track turf of Lucas Oil Stadium. I’ll take a flyer on Richardson to take home some hardware.
Will Anderson Jr. Defensive Rookie Of The Year (+350)
The Texans mortgaged the future to win right now, and although it came with a lot of criticism, I think they made the right decision on draft night. To no surprise, they took the best QB available in Ohio State signal-caller C.J. Stroud at No. 2 overall. But then they sent shockwaves through the draft by giving up a ton of draft capital and assets by trading back up to No. 3 and selecting the projected best defensive player in this draft: edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. To call Anderson a college standout would be an understatement. Anderson won the Bronko Nagurski Award twice, won two SEC Defensive Player Of The Year Awards, made the All-American Team twice and was a critical piece of a national championship team at Alabama. With new head coach DeMeco Ryans being a defensive mind, you would think that Anderson will be featured on a defense that ranked the third-worst in the entire NFL last season. With Stroud improving the outlook on the offensive side, I think Wilson will improve the defense in his own right. As much I like the Colts, the Texans could also prove to be competitive in the weak AFC South.
Seattle Seahawks to win NFC West (+250)
This Seahawks team already exceeded expectations last season by making the wild-card round in a year when many people, including myself, thought they would struggle. Led by a career resurgence for Geno Smith, Seattle finished an impressive 9-8. In the first round of the draft, the Seahawks selected Devon Witherspoon, considered by many as the top cornerback in the draft. Later in the first round, they snagged the most polished receiver in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who will provide Smith with another weapon alongside Kenneth Walker III, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. The San Francisco 49ers are the prohibitive favorites to win the NFC West at -140, but they have so many questions at QB that I feel as though the Seahawks have more stability now. Not to mention the famous 12th Man always provides the ultimate home-field advantage for Seattle. Let’s grab this current value price.
