There are a number of big time rookies on the defensive side of the ball that have a lot of potential this year, and NFL betting fans are going to have a tough time sorting out who should win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Check out these NFL betting futures odds on which player will walk away with this illustrious defensive honor.

The top defensive player drafted this year was Morris Claiborne (Odds To Win Rookie of the Year: 6 to 1 @ WagerWeb Sportsbook). We know that Mo has a heck of a lot of talent; just ask his college coach, Les Miles. Claiborne has the potential to step right into the secondary of the Dallas Cowboys and make a big difference, especially knowing that he is already on a ‘D’ with some talent. That being said, it is usually awfully difficult for a rookie DB to come in and win the Rookie of the Year honors, knowing that interceptions don’t usually come as often as sacks, and certainly not as often as tackles. It would take a yeoman’s effort this year for Claiborne to win the Rookie of the Year honor.

And that’s why we think that the top linebacker that was taken in the NFL Draft, Luke Kuechly (Rookie of the Year Odds: 5 to 1 @ WagerWeb Sportsbook) could be the man that walks away with the honor. Kuechly was a tackling machine in college for the Boston College Eagles, and though we think that he was drafted a good 6-8 spots too high, we do have a real appreciation for what his new team, the Carolina Panthers are trying to do. The Panthers play a heck of a lot of defense, and teams usually try to run the ball down their throats with their weak defensive line. That’s how Kuechly set all sorts of records in college with tackles. He has a nose for the football, and when he gets going, there might not be a lineman in the league that can keep him from getting his hands in on the tackle on a running play up the gut. Don’t be all that shocked if Kuechly ends up with well over 100 tackles for the season, and if that turns out to be the case, he’ll be the Defensive Rookie of the Year.

We feel like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a great selection when they took Mark Barron (Top Rookie Safety To Win Rookie of the Year: 12 to 1 @ WagerWeb Sportsbook) with the sixth pick in the NFL Draft. Barron just knows how to win. He can come up and make tackles against the run, and he is a ball hawker in the secondary as well. Barron is the man that was picked by Head Coach Greg Schiano thanks to his leadership and his skills, and he could end up bringing that sense to the Tampa Bay secondary, just as John Lynch did when the Bucs were at their best in franchise history. We don’t know if those intangibles will end up helping Barron win the Rookie of the Year Award, but we definitely want to keep a close eye on his stats, which might be good enough at the end as well.

Defensive linemen this year might be a tad tough. We’d be willing to give a shot to Bruce Irvin (Defensive Rookie of the Year Betting Lines: 20 to 1 @ WagerWeb Sportsbook) of the Seattle Seahawks. We think that Irvin and Whitney Mercilus have the best chance to lead all rookies in sacks this year. Head Coach Pete Carroll has been looking for pass rushers for quite some time, and Irvin might be the man that is able to do that. A lot of these West Virginia defenders have proven to be vicious at the next level, and Irvin might be the next in line to really make an impact at the NFL level. Carroll, a defensive specialist, believes that picked the best pass rusher in this draft, and if that really is the case, this could be the Defensive Rookie of the Year at a very, very nice price.

Odds To Win Defensive Rookie of the Year @ WagerWeb Sportsbook (as of 7/26/12):
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Bruce Irvin20 to 1
Casey Hayward 15 to 1
Chandler Jones 8 to 1
Courtney Upshaw 10 to 1
Dont’a Hightower 10 to 1
Dontari Poe 15 to 1
Dre Kirkpatrick 10 to 1
Fletcher Cox 10 to 1
Harrison Smith 15 to 1
Janoris Jenkins 15 to 1
Jerel Worthy 25 to 1
Luke Kuechly 5 to 1
Mark Barron 12 to 1
Melvin Ingram 18 to 1
Michael Brockers 18 to 1
Morris Claiborne 6 to 1
Mychal Kendricks 15 to 1
Nick Perry 10 to 1
Quinton Coples 15 to 1
Stephon Gilmore 15 to 1

It has already been a heck of an offseason in the NFL, and the preseason is just a few short weeks away from starting! Check out the odds to win the Rookie of the Year award for 2012 in the NFL on the offensive side of the ball, as there should be a number of different players that have a great chance of claiming this illustrious honor.

If you’re the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, you’re expected to step right in and lead your franchise. That’s why Andrew Luck (Odds To Win Rookie of the Year: 2.75 to 1 @ WagerWeb Sportsbook) is the man that is favored to take this award down. Much like Cam Newton last year with the Carolina Panthers, Luck figures to come in and immediately become the face of this franchise. The problem though, is that the cupboard is relatively dry with the Indianapolis Colts, and we really figure that Luck is going to struggle a heck of a lot like Peyton Manning did all those years ago in his first campaign in the NFL with the same franchise.

That’s why the man that was drafted No. 2 overall, Robert Griffin III (Rookie of the Year Odds: 4.50 to 1 @ WagerWeb Sportsbook) seems like the better choice in our eyes. RGIII already has a cool nickname that should help him out from his college days in terms of notoriety, and he has a heck of a lot better team around him. Remember that his Washington Redskins had to trade up to get him. This is a team that has a good defense and can make Griffin look like a winner without him doing all that much. It’s Griffin’s team for sure, and just like Newton did last year, he’ll get the job done with his arm and his legs. The idea of 3,500 passing yards and 500 more on the ground isn’t out of the question, and if that turns out to be the case and the Skins at least challenge the .500 mark, Griffin might ultimately be the man that walks away with this honor.

It’s difficult for a non-quarterback to win the Rookie of the Year honors, especially in a year in which there are some great QBs to choose from. However, if there is a man that we are going to want to take a chance with at receiver, it is Michael Floyd (Top Rookie Wide Receiver To Win Rookie of the Year: 10 to 1 @ WagerWeb Sportsbook). Sure, we hear all of the moaning about Justin Blackmon and how he is going to be the only offensive star on the Jacksonville Jaguars, but we just don’t know if he is going to have the quarterback to get the job done. That being said, the Arizona Cardinals don’t exactly have the greatest foundation in the world, knowing that Kevin Kolb might not even be able to win the starting job for the year, but this offense typical likes to throw the ball all over the place. Larry Fitzgerald really wants some help, and Floyd might be just what the doctor ordered.

However, if you really want to go off the board just a bit, the man that we would give a chance to is Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ running back Doug Martin (Offensive Rookie of the Year Betting Lines: 15 to 1 @ WagerWeb Sportsbook). We really think that Martin is going to be able to take the job as the starting back for the Bucs, because it doesn’t feel like LeGarrette Blount is the back that Head Coach Greg Schiano wants to saddle his horse to. Martin is a running back’s running back, and he is going to have an opportunity to win a heck of a lot of carries. The Boise State Bronco is a winner on the field, and he could become the power back that puts Tampa Bay into the end zone quite a bit. Are 15 touchdowns totally out of the question? That might be a bit of a stretch, but we think that it could happen.

Odds To Win Offensive Rookie of the Year @ WagerWeb Sportsbook (as of 7/26/12):
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AJ Jenkins 20 to 1
Alshon Jeffrey 20 to 1
Andrew Luck 2.75 to 1
Brandon Weeden 10 to 1
Brian Quick 20 to 1
Coby Fleener 15 to 1
David Wilson 15 to 1
Doug Martin 15 to 1
Justin Blackmon 5.50 to 1
Kendall Wright 20 to 1
LaMichael James 20 to 1
Michael Floyd 10 to 1
Robert Griffin III 4.50 to 1
Rueben Randle 20 to 1
Ryan Broyles 20 to 1
Ryan Tannehill 18 to 1
Stephen Hill 18 to 1
Trent Richardson 3.75 to 1