Jeanty favored over Ward to win Offensive Rookie of the Year
With the 2025 NFL Draft in the books, it's time to look ahead at which newcomers are expected to perform the best on their new teams and be in the running to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Ashton Jeanty, selected sixth overall by the Raiders, is the +275 favorite to earn the honor at theScore Bet/ESPN Bet. The explosive tailback will immediately step into the starting role in Las Vegas, and head coach Pete Carroll has never shied away from relying heavily on a bell cow running back.
Jeanty has also received early love from bettors. He's amassed the most bets (17%) and handle (27%) of all OROY candidates.
Offensive Rookie of the Year odds
| Player (Team) | Odds |
|---|---|
| Ashton Jeanty (LV) | +275 |
| Cameron Ward (TEN) | +350 |
| Tetairoa McMillan (CAR) | +650 |
| Travis Hunter (JAX) | +650 |
| Shedeur Sanders (CLE) | +1500 |
| Omarion Hampton (LAC) | +1500 |
| Tyler Shough (NO) | +1600 |
| Matthew Golden (GB) | +2000 |
| Jaxson Dart (NYG) | +2000 |
| TreVeyon Henderson (NE) | +2000 |
| Colston Loveland (CHI) | +2200 |
| Emeka Egbuka (TB) | +2200 |
| Quinshon Judkins (CLE) | +2500 |
| Tyler Warren (IND) | +2500 |
| Jalen Milroe (SEA) | +3000 |
| Luther Burden III (CHI) | +3500 |
| Kaleb Johnson (PIT) | +4000 |
| RJ Harvey (DEN) | +4000 |
| Dillon Gabriel (CLE) | +6000 |
| Jayden Higgins (HOU) | +7500 |
| Mason Taylor (NYJ) | +7500 |
| Will Howard (PIT) | +7500 |
| Cam Skattebo (NYG) | +10000 |
| Quinn Ewers (MIA) | +10000 |
Cam Ward is the second favorite at +350. The Titans' new quarterback opened as a co-favorite beside Jeanty, but the early action on the running back has created a slight separation at the top. Working in Ward's favor is the fact a running back hasn't won the OROY since Saquon Barkley in 2018. Four of the past six winners have been quarterbacks.
Tetairoa McMillan and Travis Hunter are the next two on the board. There might be hesitation to back Hunter, who's attracted only 2.5% of the handle thus far because of uncertainty about how the Jaguars will deploy him. If he spends the year splitting time on offense and defense, he becomes a lot less likely to accumulate the statistics required to win the offensive award. But if he's primarily used as a wide receiver, there's a good chance his +650 odds will look like a bargain come season's end.
Shedeur Sanders was the talk of the draft for a reason he least expected. His freefall ended when the Browns took him with the 144th pick, behind another Browns quarterback pick, Dillon Gabriel. Still, Sanders remains near the top of the OROY betting board at +1500. He's received very little betting interest (3% of the handle), though, and could see his odds lengthen as the season approaches.
Quarterback Tyler Shough was a big mover up the oddsboard after he landed in New Orleans, a team without an answer at the position. Shough was +5000 when odds opened after Round 1, but after the Saints took him 40th overall, his odds shrank drastically.
Surprisingly, RJ Harvey has accumulated the second most bets (14%) and handle (13%) of all rookies. He opened at +20000 after Round 1 but plummeted to +4000 once the Broncos selected him 60th overall. Harvey will have little competition for touches in the Denver backfield, and bettors might be looking back to what Broncos head coach Sean Peyton accomplished with Alvin Kamara, the Saints running back who won the OROY in 2017.