Breaking down the Top 10 Offensive Rookie of the Year candidates for the 2024 NFL season! Make sure to drop your thoughts and feedback in the comment section!
No. 10: Las Vegas Raiders TE Brock Bowers
In the rich history of the NFL, a tight end has never won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, but Brock Bowers could change that. The elite Georgia product was selected 13th overall by the Las Vegas Raiders following a dominant three-year run in the SEC. Bowers is a transcendent talent at his position who could defy expectations and become the first tight end to bring home the illustrious rookie-season hardware.
No. 9: San Fransisco 49ers WR Ricky Pearsall
There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the San Fransisco 49ers’ offense this offseason as they deal with an injury to star running back Christian McCaffery and the potential trade of wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. Both of those factors could lead to an expansive role for rookie wideout Ricky Pearsall. The 49ers selected the University of Florida product with their first-round pick and could carve a massive role out for the rookie if Aiyuk is traded away.
READ MORE: Giants’ 5th-round pick from 2023 may be in danger of losing his roster spot
No. 8: Kansas City Chiefs WR Xavier Worthy
When Patrick Mahomes is your quarterback, anything is possible. That’s why Xavier Worthy will be viewed as a top Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate this season despite being the fifth wide receiver taken in this year’s draft. Worthy broke the NFL Scouting Combine’s 40-yard-dash record this offseason and is now bringing his elite 4.22s speed to the Chiefs’ explosive offense. He could burst onto the scene in this perfect situation.
No. 7: Chicago Bears WR Rome Odunze
Rome Odunze was the second of two top-10 selections that the Chicago Bears made in this year’s draft. While their first pick will receive plenty of attention as a Rookie of the Year candidate, their second choice shouldn’t go under the radar. Odunze is an elite playmaker out of Washington who figures to be a top playmaker in the Bears’ offense as a rookie. He hauled in 13 touchdowns as a junior in the Pac-12 last season.
READ HERE: NFL Pre-Season Top-10 Power Rankings
No. 6: New England Patriots QB Drake Maye
Drake Maye was the third quarterback off the board in this year’s draft and has a tall task ahead of him as the New England Patriots’ next franchise quarterback. The Patriots have struggled to yield any solid production out of their quarterback room in the post-Brady era of the franchise. But Maye has enough raw talent to give the Patriots hope for the future, and maybe even bring them some immediate success this season.
No. 5: Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy
J.J. McCarthy is fresh off a 2023-24 campaign in which he led the Michigan Wolverines to a National Championship. He’ll be looking to add even more hardware to his trophy case this year as the Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback.
The Vikings took McCarthy with the 10th-overall pick in the draft and, while it’s unclear whether or not he will be their Week 1 starter, he will inevitably take over as the starting quarterback at some point this season. When he does, he will be sharing the ball with elite playmakers such as Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson, all the while being coached by quarterback-guru Kevin O’Connell. McCarthy is in the perfect situation to have a shockingly-good rookie campaign.
No. 4: Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels
The Washington Commanders selected LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels with the second-overall pick in this year’s draft, hopefully giving them their next franchise quarterback of the future. The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner tossed 40 touchdowns in the SEC last season and has looked like every bit the special player he was in college so far during training camp.
No. 3: New York Giants WR Malik Nabers
The New York Giants selected Malik Nabers with the sixth-overall pick in the draft, finally giving them an elite receiving weapon for the first time since Odell Beckham Jr. departed in 2018. The Giants have not had a 1,000-yard receiver since Beckham, but Nabers should end that drought as a rookie. He has exceeded all expectations during training camp as the LSU product quickly establishes himself as one of the top Offensive Rookie of the Year candidates for the upcoming campaign.
No. 2: Arizona Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
Marvin Harrison Jr. was the first skill position player off the board in this year’s draft. The Arizona Cardinals selected him with the fourth-overall pick, finally giving quarterback Kyler Murray a dangerous weapon to target in the passing game. As the son of a former NFL Hall-of-Famer, Harrison Jr. will need to meet high expectations as a rookie. But so far at training camp, the Ohio State product has been as advertised.
No. 1: Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams
The Chicago Bears selected USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Bears have never had a quarterback throw for 4,000 yards in a single season. Williams will aim to change that as early as his rookie campaign as he steps into a Bears offense with high expectations and plenty of weapons at his disposal. The 2022 Heisman Trophy Winner has been living up to the hype at training camp and is the current betting favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.