The 2021 NFL draft is over and done with. The stage is now set for a whole new crop of elite defensive players to have an immediate impact for their new team.
A few blue chippers have the best NFL futures odds to earn Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in the 2021 regular season. Yet, there is some solid betting value a bit further down the betting board with a few standout players at longer odds.
Betting the Favorites
The defensive rookie at the top of the futures betting board for ROY is Micah Parsons at +400 betting odds. The former Penn State linebacker was drafted No. 12 in the fist round by the Dallas Cowboys.
He was the third defensive player to come off the board behind cornerbacks’ Jaycee Horn from South Carolina and Alabama’s Pat Surtain II.
The main reason why Parsons is the favorite is the huge need he fills in the Cowboys’ defense. The fact that he will will be a starter from Day 1 on one of the NFL’s highest profile teams also adds value to his betting odds. One downside with this pick is Parsons’ decision to sit out the 2020 season.
The second-favorite to win ROY honors on defense is Jamin Davis at +700. He is followed closely by Jaelan Phillips at +750 to round out the top three players on the board.
Drafted 19th overall by the Washington Football Team, Davis played linebacker for Kentucky. The stronger play would be Phillips. Playing EDGE for the Miami Hurricanes, he will be a perfect fit at the pro level for the Miami Dolphins as the No. 18 overall pick.
Contenders With High Value Odds
I am going back to the first two defensive picks in the recent draft as my high-value contenders. Horn (+1000) was taken by the Carolina Panthers at No. 8 with Surtain (+1100) coming off the board next to the Denver Broncos.
Each of these players can fill a vital role for their new defense as well. Horn only played in seven games last season after a stellar freshman campaign for the Gamecocks. The slight betting edge goes to Surtain as more of a sure thing anchoring the Broncos’ secondary.
He graded out higher than Horne with NFL.com at 7.02. Surtain was instrumental in Alabama’s run to another national title as the SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
Finding a High Value Longshot
If you are looking to bet a flyer at much longer odds in this NFL futures bet, Asante Samuel Jr. at +3300 tops my list. He slipped all the way to the No. 15 pick in the second round by the Los Angeles Chargers.
Samuel played cornerback for Florida State. Graded out at 6.24 by NFL.com, it is safe to say that this was one of the bigger steals in this draft. Being the son of a four-time NFL Pro Bowl player and Super Bowl Champion offers an excellent pedigree to follow in his father’s footsteps with a successful pro career of his own.
Through eight games last season, he led the Seminoles in interceptions (3) and pass breakups (6) while recording 31 tackles.
