Rams News: 2 Los Angeles Rookies Make Top 20 in DROY Preseason Odds

Will either of these two players win?

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Two Los Angeles Rams rookies have high odds to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Rams' first-round pick Jared Verse and second-round pick Braden Fiske both have top-20 odds to win the DROY award.

Verse is tied for the third-best odds to win DROY at +1100 with Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell. Only Minnesota Vikings linebacker Dallas Turner (+400) and Indianapolis Colts defensive end Laiatu Latu (+500 odds) have higher odds than Verse and Mitchell, via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Fiske ranks significantly lower as he is tied for the 19th best odds (+5000) with 12 other players, including Maason Smith, Khyree Jackson, Chris Braswell, T'Vondre Sweat, Junior Colson, T.J. Tampa, Bralen Trice, Austin Booker, Max Melton, Adisa Isaac, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., and Javon Bullard, via DraftKings.

While it would be an upset for Fiske to win the award, the 2024 DROY award could be the most up in the air the award has been in years. This year's draft class was not defensively heavy in the first round, with Latu becoming the first defensive player taken at No. 15 overall.

Still, it's more than likely that the DROY will be a first-round pick. Nine of the last ten DROY Award winners were first-round pick. Eight of those nine players were taken in the top-15 of the draft, and five of those ten were top-5 picks in the draft. Former Colts linebacker Shaquille Leonard is the only second-round pick to have won DROY in the last decade.

While the only possible top-15 player who could win the award this year is Latu, it's more than likely that one of those top guys of the board will be taken. This does work in Verse's favor though. Verse was taken 19th overall and was the fourth defensive player off the board. The two-time All-American out of Florida State had at least nine sacks in each of the last three years at FSU. If he can put up those kinds of stats with the Rams, he'll surely be a top contender.

More Rams: ESPN Ranks Matthew Stafford Low Among Fantasy QBs for 2024