With training camps opening up around the NFL this week, one of the main storylines to watch is the rookies. Will quarterback Fernando Mendoza outperform Kirk Cousins on the practice field in Vegas? Could Carnell Tate skyrocket up fantasy big boards by showing he has an automatic connection with Cam Ward?Â
Since several rookies are about to make headlines, this is a good time to revisit the odds for Offensive Rookie of the Year. You could probably guess the favorites. Over at DraftKings Sportsbook, No. 3 overall pick running back Jeremiyah Love of the Arizona Cardinals has the shortest odds at +400, followed by Mendoza at +425, Tate at +550, New Orleans Saints wideout Jordyn Tyson at +600 and Seattle Seahawks running back Jadarian Price rounding out the top five at +750. But what about some sleepers?
Below, we will break down four Offensive Rookie of the Year sleepers to consider. These players will have odds listed outside of the top five with a minimum of +1000.
Offensive Rookie of the Year sleepersWR Makai Lemon, Philadelphia Eagles (+1000)
The No. 20 overall pick of the Philadelphia Eagles is the reigning Biletnikoff Award winner, as he caught 79 passes for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns for USC last season. Makai Lemon had four games in which he recorded 150 yards receiving and a touchdown in 2025, which tied a Big Ten single-season record, and recorded the most yards after catch (502) in the conference. Lemon wasn’t just a playmaker after the catch, but also a deep-ball weapon. His 16 receptions of 20+ air yards were tied for third-most in the FBS.
Lemon isn’t A.J. Brown. He’s a slot weapon, not a big-bodied perimeter threat. New offensive coordinator Sean Mannion, who played and learned under Sean McVay, could use a reliable playmaker like Lemon as a pillar in his new offense. I think it could be easy to scheme up quick touches for him.
WR Antonio Williams, Washington Commanders (+2800)
As the Brandon Aiyuk saga continues to drag on, it seems very unlikely he will join his former college teammate Jayden Daniels in Washington. The Washington Commanders needed to add another wide receiver to help Terry McLaurin, who is coming off his worst season as a pro, and the most notable addition Adam Peters and Co. made this offseason was Antonio Williams in the third round.
Williams leaves Clemson with the fourth-most career receptions (208) in program history, and is tied for the fourth-most receiving touchdowns (21). He caught 15 touchdowns over the last two seasons, which ranks most in the ACC. This is a solid slot weapon that doesn’t drop the ball and can create after the catch. He also possesses the vision necessary to create those game-changing splash plays. The only question I have with Williams is his ability to stay healthy, as he missed 12 games due to injury during his collegiate career. But he’s someone that could play a big role in Washington’s offense if Daniels can also remain healthy. He has a clearer path to picking up touches than another talent like Germie Bernard in Pittsburgh.Â
WR De’Zhaun Stribling, San Francisco 49ers (+6000)
No one expected De’Zhaun Stribling to be the sixth wide receiver off the board, as he was CBS Sports’ WR19 in this class. However, I trust John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan, and they clearly wanted this prospect.
Stribling is known for his blocking ability and physicality, but he also ran a 4.36 40-yard dash at the combine at 6-foot-2. He caught 55 passes for 811 yards last season for the Ole Miss Rebels and led the team with six receiving touchdowns. He also caught seven passes for 122 yards in the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal upset against Georgia. Surely he can find a role in this efficient San Francisco 49ers offensive attack — and should have the opportunity, too.
The 49ers signed soon-to-be 33-year-old Mike Evans, who has missed 12 games over the last two seasons due to injury, and Christian Kirk while losing Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne in free agency. Jennings was the most reliable wide receiver Shanahan had over the past couple of seasons, and Stribling has the potential to wear the hat he did in this scheme.Â
If the 49ers’ weapons struggle again with injuries, Stribling may be the surprise player that was hiding in plain sight. This is a fast kid with good size joining a dangerous passing attack.Â
RB Jonah Coleman, Denver Broncos (+6000)
Well, we can’t pick ALL wide receivers. And I’m not too interested in any of the rookie quarterbacks. So let’s look at the running backs.
Kaelon Black is behind Christian McCaffrey in San Francisco, Mike Washington Jr. is an intriguing sleeper backing up Ashton Jeanty in Vegas, Emmett Johnson is behind Kenneth Walker III in Kansas City, and Nicholas Singleton is part of a deep room in Tennessee. So let’s talk about Jonah Coleman.Â
Coleman is admittedly going to need some help if he’s going to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, but there’s a path for it to happen. J.K. Dobbins was effective for the Denver Broncos last season, averaging 77.2 rushing yards per game. However, he missed the last seven games due to a foot injury and still has never played a full NFL season. Rookie RJ Harvey stepped in and became the fifth rookie in NFL history to rush for five touchdowns and catch five touchdowns in a player’s first season, but he cleared 55 rushing yards in just two of his seven starts.Â
Coleman was the fourth running back taken in this past draft. While he’s just 5-foot-8, he’s as shifty as he is productive. No player in the Big Ten scored more touchdowns than Coleman last season (17), and he’s a legitimate receiver, too. Coleman may be buried on the depth chart right now, but how long will that be the case? This Broncos team has Super Bowl aspirations, and their rushing attack has to be better than it was in 2025.
Offensive Rookie of the Year odds (Top 15)
RB Jeremiyah Love, Arizona Cardinals
+400
QB Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders
+425
WR Carnell Tate, Tennessee Titans
+550
WR Jordyn Tyson, New Orleans Saints
+600
RB Jadarian Price, Seattle Seahawks
+750
WR Makai Lemon, Philadelphia Eagles
+1000
TE Kenyon Sadiq, New York Jets
+2500
WR KC Concepcion, Cleveland Browns
+2800
QB Carson Beck, Arizona Cardinals
+2800
WR Antonio Williams, Washington Commanders
+2800
WR Denzel Boston, Cleveland Browns
+3500
WR Omar Cooper Jr., New York Jets
+4000
TE Eli Stowers, Philadelphia Eagles
+5000
QB Ty Simpson, Los Angeles Rams
+5000
WR Germie Bernard, Pittsburgh Steelers
+5500