Who Will Win the 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year Award?
With rookie minicamp and OTAs completed for all 32 NFL teams, the league is quickly ramping up for the start of the season. One of the most important questions of the early season is: How will the rookies perform? According to ESPN BET, there are three players that they believe will perform well enough to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. These three players all have odds +900 or lower, meaning that if someone bets $10 on +900 odds, then the profit would be $90 and the total payout would be $100. In this article, we will list the top three players in terms of ESPN BET’s odds and explain why each of them could win the award.
Ashton Jeanty (+275)
Ashton Jeanty was so good at football in college that his pre-snap stance alone became a meme. Jeanty’s nonchalant stance terrified linebackers across the country, and for good reason. The Boise State Bronco trailed only behind Barry Sanders for single-season rushing yards in FBS history, leading to him being the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. It’s hard to say how good the Raiders’ offensive line will be this season, but it should be a safe bet to say they won’t be awful. Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson have proved themselves as reliable blockers for the Raiders, and with the signing of Alex Cappa, don’t be surprised to see this team field a top-10 blocking unit in 2025. If the Jacksonville, Florida native continues to do what he did in college, expect him to be the first running back to win OROY since Saquon Barkley in 2018.
Cam Ward (+375)
Cam Ward has an edge over all other competition for this award since the voters seem to have a bias in selecting quarterbacks for the award. Quarterbacks have won four of the last six OROY Awards. What helps the ex-Miami Hurricane even more is the fact that he was the top pick in this year’s draft, ensuring him as much playing time as he can hope for. The only roadblock in preventing him from getting snaps is Will Levis, Tennessee’s starter last season and 33rd pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Head coach Brian Callahan has gone on record and said it will be an open competition to see who will be the starter, but it’s still expected that Ward will be the Week One starter. Assuming he does get the nod as QB1, he’ll be in the running until the very end to win the award.
Travis Hunter (+900)
Perhaps the most interesting option among the three favorites is Travis Hunter. The wide receiver-cornerback hybrid is the only player listed with odds at both Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year Awards, garnering +1100 odds for the defensive award. Hunter was such a highly sought-after prospect that the Jacksonville Jaguars sent the Cleveland Browns a boatload of picks to select him right after Ward. Jacksonville gave Cleveland the fifth pick, the 36th pick, and the 126th pick in this past draft, as well as their first-round selection in next year’s draft. Undoubtedly, the Jaguars will be looking to utilize Hunter in as many ways as they can, which speaks highly for his chances to win the award. The former Colorado Buffalo will have a much easier job getting open compared to other rookies since he has Brian Thomas, Jr. playing alongside him. Consider Hunter a dark horse pick to win the award, but don’t be shocked if he adds both OROY and DROY Awards to his trophy case next to his Heisman.
