Steelers' George Pickens an Early Favorite for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

Early returns from training camp and one week of preseason action have elevated expectations for some rookies, including Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens.

Turnover in the Pittsburgh Steelers lineup this offseason has presented opportunity; rookie wide receiver George Pickens has taken advantage in training camp, and that has started to alter expectations during the season.

Pickens is a big target at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds. He suffered a torn ACL during spring practice at Georgia but worked diligently to get back, returning to the lineup in late November. He played four games, catching five passes for 107 yards, but he had shown significant potential during his freshman and sophomore seasons.

As a second-round pick of the Steelers, Pickens did not come with massive expectations in the marketplace and was priced at +5000 at BetMGM when the odds opened for AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in May. Now, he is priced at +850, the shortest odds on the board at BetMGM; he's also in the Top 5 at most of the other major sportsbooks.

Here are the latest NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year odds via DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars, and BetMGM.

NFL AP Offensive Rookie of the Year

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Here are a handful of other top contenders for Offensive Rookie of the Year:

Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh

The Steelers’ first-round selection, Pickett enjoyed a spectacular senior season at the University of Pittsburgh, completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 4,319 yards with 43 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Pundits made a big deal about the size of his hands at the combine, but it hasn’t held him back thus far; the question now is how soon he can take over the Steelers' starting quarterback job, which is being kept warm by Mitch Trubisky.

Chris Olave, WR, New Orleans

After a productive career at Ohio State, Olave was the 11th pick in the draft; he'll have a chance to play a starting role immediately for the Saints. QB Jameis Winston will throw the ball a lot and even if Michael Thomas is healthy – a BIG if – there should still be plenty of looks available for Olave.

Skyy Moore, WR, Kansas City

As it stands right now, Moore is still a second-string receiver for the Chiefs – but the second-round pick out of Western Michigan might force his way into the starting mix. As a redshirt sophomore, Moore caught 95 passes for 1,292 yards and 10 touchdowns; if he establishes any kind of trust with Patrick Mahomes, that could lead to big things in Year 1.

Breece Hall, RB, N.Y. Jets

An early second-round pick by the Jets, Hall was hugely productive at Iowa State, accumulating 3,526 yards from scrimmage with 46 touchdowns as a sophomore and junior. He joins a Jets team that got a solid performance out of rookie Michael Carter last season. Hall has some competition for touches, but the expectation is that Hall is going to have a huge role on a Jets team that, considering its quarterback situation, would probably prefer to run the ball. The question is whether Hall is going to be the one getting the bulk of the carries.

Drake London, WR, Atlanta

Taken with the eighth pick in the draft, London is a 6-foot-5 receiver who has a chance to see a lot of targets in the Falcons' offense. With Calvin Ridley suspended for the season, London might be the best wide receiver option for QB Marcus Mariota (though second-year TE Kyle Pitts is likely to lead the team in targets.) As a junior at USC, London caught 88 passes for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns and while he was injured in the preseason opener, he should be ready to go when the games count.

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