The 5 Frontrunners to Win Offensive Rookie of the Year | Week 3
Brock Bowers (TE, LV(
Sep 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) reacts after a play during the first half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images.
NFL Week 3 gets underway on Thursday Night when the New York Jets host the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium. The Jets are favored by six.
The 5 Frontrunners to Win Offensive Rookie of the Year | Week 3
Overall in 2024, the Chiefs are favored to win the Super Bowl (+500), which would make that franchise the first in NFL history to win a Super Bowl thrice consecutively. Oddsmakers believe the Chiefs will face the San Francisco 49ers in February — a rematch.
Meanwhile, several other awards are up for grabs, and heading into Week 3, these are the league’s frontrunners to win Offensive Rookie of the Year (OROY), according to sportsbooks, ranked in ascending order (No. 1 = leader to win OROY)
5. Brock Bowers (TE)
Sep 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) runs after as catch during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images.
Team: Las Vegas Raiders
Odds to Win OROY: +1500
Last Week’s Ranking: n/a
2024 PFF Score to Date: 78.4
Did the Las Vegas Raiders waste precious draft capital on Michael Mayer? Probably. Is Bowers an immediate upgrade? Yes.
Bowers has tabulated 15 receptions for 156 yards through two games, helping the Raiders split the season’s first two games. He obviously doesn’t have elite quarterback play alongside him in Year No. 1, but it doesn’t matter. He’s that NFL-ready.
The electric young tight end is on pace for 1,326 receiving yards as a rookie. He’s also a trustworthy and stable fantasy asset — vital for fantasy managers early in a season when Travis Kelce and Marc Andrews have mostly faceplanted.
4. Malik Nabers (WR)
Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (1) reacts after making a catch against the Minnesota Vikings during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images.
Team: New York Giants
Odds to Win OROY: +750
Last Week’s Ranking: 5th
2024 PFF Score to Date: 73.1
Like Bowers, Nabers is not accompanied by productive quarterback play, but he might be the one bright spot on the Giants’ roster at the moment. He kind of galvanized the fanbase: “At least we have Leek.”
Nabers has 193 receiving yards on 15 catches, with a touchdown, in two games against the Minnesota Vikings and Washington Commanders. His pace is 1,640 yards and 9 paydirts, which is instant OROY credibility.
He might be higher on this list if there were no such thing as a Marvin Harrison Jr.
3. Caleb Williams (QB)
Sep 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) reacts after a play during the third quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images.
Team: Chicago Bears
Odds to Win OROY: +400
Last Week’s Ranking: 1st
2024 PFF Score to Date: 44.3
Williams hasn’t played well in two games, but nobody really cares because it’s fashionable to blame the Bears’ offensive line, removing any blame caused by Williams’s shortcomings. He’s rapidly discovered that his style of manufactured chaos does not work versus NFL defenders, though he could get away with it at USC.
Of course, Williams has played just two games out of the gate, and he’ll improve. Yet, he hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass yet and ranks dead last in the league per quarterback EPA+CPOE. You won’t read it elsewhere, but this website will tell you that Williams has played poorly through Week 2. He’s actually played horribly.
2. Jayden Daniels (QB)
Sep 15, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) waits for a play call during the third quarter against the New York Giants at Commanders Field. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images.
Team: Washington Commanders
Odds to Win OROY: +350
Last Week’s Ranking: 2nd
2024 PFF Score to Date: 57.3
On the other hand — the Williams antithesis — Daniels has performed wonderfully for a rookie, ranking seventh per the aforementioned EPA+CPOE metric. Williams ranks 32nd; Daniels is seventh.
That’s why Daniels has taken over the second slot on this list, and so far in the NFL, Daniels is more game-ready. He’s polished and fits nicely inside the Commanders’ offense.
It’s worth noting, though, that he hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass, either. He and Williams will get off the schneid soon.
1. Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR)
Arizona Cardinals receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) dives in for a touchdown over Los Angeles Rams safety Kamren Curl (3) at State Farm Stadium on Sept. 15, 2024. © Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.
Team: Arizona Cardinals
Odds to Win OROY: +250
Last Week’s Ranking: 3rd
2024 PFF Score to Date: 70.8
Marvin Harrison Jr. notched a single catch for 4 receiving yards in Week 1 at the Buffalo Bills — and Arizona lost by six. Then in Week 2, the Cardinals smartened up and fed him the rock to the tune of 4 receptions, 130 yards, and 2 touchdowns.
He has arrived. Everything was just delayed by a week.
Harrison Jr. exploded against the Rams and is here to stay. Kyler Murray is more than capable of dishing the ball in his direction, and because of his ginormous day versus Los Angeles, he has catapulted to the top for OROY odds.
It helps that no rookie quarterback has thrown a touchdown.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His NFL obsession dates back to 1989. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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