Is Chase Young A Deserving Def Rookie Of The Year Favorite?

• Chase Young has +175 odds to win the NFL’s Defensive Rookie Of The Year award.
• Young is followed by Patrick Queen at +300 and Antoine Winfield at +325 odds.
• PFF grades Young as a 72.6, well above Queen and Winfield, but not blowing the doors off the league.

LAS VEGAS - Chase Young of the Washington Football Team is looking like a favorite to win the NFL’s Defensive Rookie Of The Year award.

Right now, Young tops the odds boards with +175 odds, which means this contest is far from over, however.

Young is probably the biggest name on this list. The former #2 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Young has made his presence felt on the defensive end this season.

He’s recorded 25 tackles and 3.5 sacks and has recorded three sacks in his last five games.

ProFootballFocus grades Young as a 72.6 right now for his position.

Young is clearly a difference-maker, even at his young age, but he’s not running away with the award by any means.

Patrick Queen and Antoine Winfield Jr. are the major competitors to Young at this moment in time.

Queen has stepped into a linebacker role with the Baltimore Ravens and performed admirably, recording 70 tackles through Week 11 of the season.

Queen has also recorded two sacks as well as two fumble recoveries. Basically, he’s a starting linebacker from day 1.

PFF grades Patrick Queen as a poor player right now, with a 27.7 rating.

Antoine Winfield Jr. is the top safety in the class right now, playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

With 61 tackles, Winfield is a force on and off the ball, and he’s recorded two sacks on blitz plays this season as well.

As a safety, Winfield has notched one interception. PFF grades him as a 63.8 relative to his position.

So, what’s going on here? None of these guys are lighting the league up, so why are they leading the race?

The basic answer is opportunity and competence. With the possible exception of Queen (per PFF), these players are fairly competent starters in year 1.

Talented players like Isaiah Simmons are simply not getting the snaps they need to compete with players like Young.

All things considered, Young deserves to be at the top of the NFL oddsboards for a myriad of reasons.

He’s a solid player in year one with a lot of potential going forward, he seems to be coming on towards the end of the season, and there’s not a lot of competition for him.