NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds: Rookie Watch Entering Preseason Week 2

The overlooked one, Shedeur Sanders, is the talk of the town after his NFL debut against the Carolina Panthers.

He wasn't the only rookie to elicit rave reviews from talking heads country-wide, with Jaxson Dart and Cam Ward also making the most of their first preseason start.

But did any Week 1 preseason performance move the Offensive Rookie of the Year odds needle, and how did the other OROY contenders do in their first taste of action? 

📈 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds 2025

Our 2025 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds update in real time based on the odds from our best sports betting apps.

Preseason Week 1: How did OROY odds contenders perform?

Each rookie featured below is graded on a 1-to-5-star scale for their preseason Week 1 performance. Be sure to check out the rest of our NFL picks, along with the NFL preseason Week 2 predictions.

Shedeur Sanders ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

OROY opening odds: +3000 via BetMGM 
OROY odds (current): +2500 via BetMGM 

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While the fifth-round draft pick isn't among the Offensive Rookie of the Year odds contenders, his first taste of NFL action represented an emphatic expletive gesture to his abundance of naysayers. 

He went 14 of 23 for 138 yards, threw two touchdowns with no interceptions, and led the Cleveland Browns to a convincing 30-10 victory. Sanders was the only one of the 15 rookie signal-callers from the 2025 draft class who played to throw for two TDs on opening weekend.

More importantly, he looked comfortable in the pocket, making excellent reads while showcasing an ability to evade when required. Often criticized for being on his back more than a hapless wrestler, Sanders was only sacked twice.

Of the quarterbacks in the 2025 draft class, Sanders' 79.8 PFF grade was fourth best, which is slightly undervalued considering he had 27 dropbacks, more than all three with a higher ranking.  

While it's a positive first step, bettors won't be rushing to one of our best sports betting apps to lock him in as their Offensive Rookie of the Year pick yet.

Then again, Sanders' stock increased significantly given the current state of the Browns' quarterback room. 

Jaxson Dart ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

OROY opening odds: +2500 via BetMGM 
OROY odds (current): +3500 via BetMGM

It was an unequivocal bullseye from Dart in his NFL debut with the G-Men. With the third-highest offensive rating via PFF (80.7), Dart went 12-for-19 for 154 yards and a touchdown. And if you haven't seen his TD toss yet, it was more of a precise raindrop than a high-velocity dart. 

Equally impressive, though. 

If you talk to a Giants fan this morning, they'll wax poetic about their new "franchise quarterback" until the color of their face matches their royal blue jersey. 

However, despite Dart's impressive debut, Russell Wilson stands in the way of consistent playing time. That 36-year-old impediment represents a sufficient deterrent to overlook Dart. 

Cam Ward ⭐⭐⭐⭐

OROY opening odds: +250 via BetMGM 
OROY odds (current): +350 via BetMGM 

While PFF didn't give its stamp of approval for Cam Ward's Tennessee Titans debut, the No. 1 draft pick had a fairly accomplished start. While Ward's 54.2 offensive rating was fourth-worst of the 15 signal-callers from the 2025 draft class who saw action in preseason Week 1, he moved the ball effectively against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that allowed just seven points, finishing 5-for-8 with 67 yards on 8.4 yards per attempt. 

His odds have lengthened slightly at BetMGM since opening, but there were enough examples on display to see why he's just behind Offensive Rookie of the Year odds favorite Ashton Jeanty.

He'll be tossed into the limelight from Week 1 onward, providing the 23-year-old with weekly opportunities to prove himself.

Tyler Shough ⭐⭐⭐

OROY opening odds: +2000 via BetMGM 
OROY odds (current): +1500 via BetMGM

While we still don't know who will line up under center for the Saints when their season kicks off against the Arizona Cardinals, Shough made a decent account of himself on Sunday against the Chargers.

An up-and-down few minutes indicative of an unseasoned quarterback, Shough followed a 43-yard pick-6 with a pinpoint 54-yard touchdown pass.

Making up for that costly interception by spearheading the team's best offensive play of the day will not only help his confidence but also demonstrate to Kellen Moore his ability to recover and rebound. 

I'm still not sold on Shough, though, as he might not even win the No. 1 job, with Spencer Rattler by most accounts putting on a better training-camp show. 

Tetairoa McMillan ⭐⭐⭐

OROY opening odds: +1300 via BetMGM 
OROY odds (current): +1500 via BetMGM

A 30-yard over-the-shoulder grab headlined McMillan's opener, with Bryce Young's giant new target finishing with two catches on five targets for 43 yards.

He got a decent run at things, too, featuring on 29 plays (21 pass and eight run). 

His odds have lengthened marginally, moving from +1300 to +1500. He's someone to keep an eye on, though. The No. 8 draft pick is 6-foot-4, 219 pounds and had a 52% air-yard share last year at Arizona. 

Despite being a rookie, McMillan should be favored in most jump-ball situations, which is music to the ears of his third-year quarterback. 

Travis Hunter ⭐⭐

OROY opening odds: +550 via BetMGM 
OROY odds (current): +1000 via BetMGM

Before snapping out of it and giving myself a stern talking to, I was tempted to provide a bonus star for seeing Hunter do what everyone expected, line up on both sides of the ball in his preseason debut.

Despite that exciting tidbit, his first kick of the NFL can on the offensive side of the ball was underwhelming. 

Blame his lack of playing time (one series each at wide receiver and cornerback) and opportunity, but I can't give any more than two stars. 

Targeted three times by Trevor Lawrence, he made two catches for nine yards. He showed his lack of experience on one of his two catches by cutting his route short of the first-down marker. 

He did, however, get some experiential reps with the team's first-choice offensive crew. Despite his two-star rating, let's not get carried away on either side of the pros and cons spectrum for this particular debut.

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Omarion Hampton ⭐⭐

OROY opening odds: +1500 via BetMGM 
OROY odds (current): +700 via BetMGM

Hampton featured on four snaps in the Hall of Fame Game, running twice for nine yards. Despite dressing, he didn't play against the New Orleans Saints in the Los Angeles Chargers' second preseason game. 

It's clear Jim Harbaugh has something colossal planned for the highly touted running back, who should see the ball a lot during the regular season. Receiving the third-shortest Offensive Rookie of the Year odds at BetMGM, he has shown signs of dominance in the red zone during training camp.  

With how Harbaugh runs his offense, Hampton represents a solid OROY bet. However, I'd like to see more from him in game situations before pulling the trigger.

Ashton Jeanty ⭐

OROY opening odds: +250 via BetMGM 
OROY odds (current): +260 via BetMGM

Jeanty, the Offensive Rookie of the Year odds favorite, didn't get the jumpstart on his career he wanted. A running joke on X poignantly shed light on the fact that anyone who read the post had more NFL rushing yards than the jacked rookie.

Jeanty finished with -1 yards on three carries, not exactly the debut he envisioned. He won't, however, be dismayed by the lickety-split outing, and nor should those who've backed him to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. 

The 21-year-old should have a long and fruitful career, and he'll get ample opportunity to showcase his freakish strength and athleticism during the regular season.

Preseason debuts, thankfully for Raiders fans, often have absolutely no bearing on regular-season ongoings, especially for a player as well prepared and disciplined as Jeanty. At least, I hope that's the case as I backed him in my NFL rookie bets to make now. 

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