NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds: Jeremiyah Love, Fernando Mendoza lead the way
Entering the 2026 NFL Draft, there was only one player at the very top of the board.Fernando Mendoza earned the No.
1 pick with a college season for the ages: He led college football with 41 passing touchdowns, won the Heisman and delivered Indiana its first national championship in the school’s 128-year history.Now that school’s out, the NFL’s rookie class will look to make its mark on the league, and Mendoza is not expected to be the cream of the crop whenever he gets the reins for the Raiders.Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love is the favorite to be the Offensive Rookie of the Year with +425 odds at bet365 Sportsbook, just ahead of Mendoza, who is +500.Love has a good chance to emerge as the top option in Arizona’s backfield.James Conner suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 3 last season, which doomed the Cardinals’ run game for the rest of the campaign.The Cardinals finished the season 31st in rushing yards, and Conner reportedly hasn’t fully participated in 11-on-11 drills yet.Love’s main competition appears to be Tyler Allgeier, who joined Arizona as a free agent in the offseason.
Mendoza seems to have a tougher path to starting with Kirk Cousins ahead of the rookie on the depth chart.Cousins was brought in to be the bridge quarterback and give Mendoza time to get adjusted to the NFL and said, “I’m going to try to hold him off as long as I can,” when asked about the quarterback situation.The longer Cousins is under center, the less opportunity Mendoza has to convince voters that he’s the top offensive player of his class.There are also several other dynamic players who could be dark horse candidates.Wide receiver Carnell Tate projects to be one of the top options for a Titans offense that ranked second-to-last in passing.
Saints wideout Jordan Tyson can be an explosive pass catcher for last season’s runner-up for Offensive Rookie of the Year, Tyler Shough, in New Orleans.With preseason just getting underway, the field is a...