Surprise name emerges as favorite to land NFL OROY award for 2022 season
The 2022 NFL Draft concluded a week ago and all 32 teams are hopeful that their draft boards lived up to the expectations. NFL has seen plenty of players enter the league and have an instant impact such as 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year, Ja'Marr Chase.
This year's draft also brought in a bevy of offensive talent. The oddsmakers have had their say on which player will win the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2022, and it's quarterback Kenny Pickett.
As the dust settles on the draft, Kenny Pickett becomes the @PointsBetUSA favorite to win offensive rookie of the year. wp.me/pbBqYq-cgVe
The University of Pittsburgh prospect will make his NFL home in the same city as he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 20th pick in the draft.
Pickett saw his stock rise to become the favorite to win OROY over newly-minted Atlanta Falcons receiver Drake London, whose odds of winning are now at +600.
Tennessee Titans receiver Treylon Burks is at +700 to win the award. Other notable names listed in the running for OROY are running back Breece Hall (+850) of the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans quarterback Malik Willis (+1300).
Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers quarterbacks Desmond Ridder and Matt Corral, respectively, both have odds of +1500.
Pickett will take over an offense that has been led by Ben Roethlisberger for the last 18 seasons.
But with Roethlisberger's retirement, Pickett has the chance to win the starting job over Mason Rudolph and Mitchell Trubisky. The oddsmakers are apparently in favor of Pickett winning the job to capture the OROY Award.
Will the NFL continue to see a surge of productive young receivers in 2022?
Ja'Marr Chase has been named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
A total of 28 wide receivers were selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. Despite being the lowest total output for receivers selected in a single draft, the league is still bullish on the skill position.
That is, perhaps, in part due to the explosion of the recent crop of receivers entering the league. Last year, rookie wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals became the player with the most receiving yards by a rookie in regular season history, with 1,455.
The record that he broke for that distinction belonged to Minnesota Vikings receiver (and former LSU teammate) Justin Jefferson, who set the record in the previous season (2020) with 1,400 yards.
Jaylen Waddle, who was also selected in the 2021 NFL Draft, set the rookie record for receptions as a member of the Miami Dolphins with 104.
Former Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith, also a member of the 2021 draft class, finished his season with 916 receiving yards for five touchdowns with the Philadelphia Eagles.
With the likes of Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Treylon Burks, Jameson Williams, and Drake London, the NFL looks to be in store for more production at the wide receiver position.