NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year odds with 2 favorites and appealing long-shot options
TAMPA, FL – April 24: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2026 first round pick Edge Rusher Rueben Bain Jr. holds up a jersey as General Manager Jason Licht and Head Coach Todd Bowles stand on each side of Bain during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers First Round Pick Press Conference on April 24, 2026 at the AdventHealth Training Center at One Buccaneer Place in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
With the NFL Draft in the rearview, fans can start speculating on how well players will fit into their new landing spots. The NFL Draft is an inexact alchemy, and every prospect’s impact will be determined as much by their own skills and traits as their ability to adapt and gel with their new organization’s structures and schemes. Taking a look at the odds on NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, via FanDuel, is a chance to project which players found the perfect landing spot to make an immediate impact in the league.
David Bailey (+500), EDGE – New York Jets
Many expect David Bailey to contribute right away after the Jets invested their No. 2 overall pick in the EDGE prospect’s steady production and projectable traits instead of searching for more upside with less polished prospects. Bailey posted 14.5 sacks last season with Texas Tech. If Aaron Glenn’s defense starts playing at an above-average level, Bailey could earn a lot of attention for helping turn things around.
Rueben Bain Jr. (+500), EDGE – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Rueben Bain Jr. showed off his ability to move the line of scrimmage and take over football games during Miami’s run to the CFB Championship. The defensive lineman is joining a Buccaneers team that’s struggled to find consistency in closing out games, and they’re watching their NFC South conference rivals stock up on offensive firepower. Bain will start right away for a Todd Bowles defense that can create unique passrushing looks around DT Vita Vea.
Arvell Reese (+750) will start immediately alongside friendly company in New York Giants linebackers Brian Burns, Tremaine Edmunds, and Kayvon Thibodeaux. If offenses key on all of these other stars, Reese could produce eye-popping stats.
Mansoor Delane (+850) will be tested early and often as the primary CB after the Kansas City Chiefs traded away both of last year’s starters. The Chiefs traded up to secure the draft’s top CB, and the former Virginia Tech and LSU standout will be playing in a big TV market that will create buzz if he starts making plays.
Sonny Styles (+900) will get the chance to play the Bobby Wagner role in the middle of Dan Quinn’s Washington Commanders defense. The converted safety led the Buckeyes in tackles last season, and he’ll benefit from playing alongside disruptive linebacker Frankie Luvu.
Caleb Downs (+900) will be a focal point of Dallas Cowboys’ new Defensive Coordinator Christian Parker’s 3-4 scheme. Parker brings familiarity with the division as former passing game coordinator and DBs coach for the Eagles, and he could put Downs in position to clean up a lot of broken plays behind a revamped defensive front
TAMPA, FL – April 24: Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2026 first round pick Edge Rusher Rueben Bain Jr. holds up a jersey as General Manager Jason Licht and Head Coach Todd Bowles stand on each side of Bain during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers First Round Pick Press Conference on April 24, 2026 at the AdventHealth Training Center at One Buccaneer Place in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
With the NFL Draft in the rearview, fans can start speculating on how well players will fit into their new landing spots. The NFL Draft is an inexact alchemy, and every prospect’s impact will be determined as much by their own skills and traits as their ability to adapt and gel with their new organization’s structures and schemes. Taking a look at the odds on NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, via FanDuel, is a chance to project which players found the perfect landing spot to make an immediate impact in the league.
David Bailey (+500), EDGE – New York Jets
Many expect David Bailey to contribute right away after the Jets invested their No. 2 overall pick in the EDGE prospect’s steady production and projectable traits instead of searching for more upside with less polished prospects. Bailey posted 14.5 sacks last season with Texas Tech. If Aaron Glenn’s defense starts playing at an above-average level, Bailey could earn a lot of attention for helping turn things around.
Rueben Bain Jr. (+500), EDGE – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Rueben Bain Jr. showed off his ability to move the line of scrimmage and take over football games during Miami’s run to the CFB Championship. The defensive lineman is joining a Buccaneers team that’s struggled to find consistency in closing out games, and they’re watching their NFC South conference rivals stock up on offensive firepower. Bain will start right away for a Todd Bowles defense that can create unique passrushing looks around DT Vita Vea.
Arvell Reese (+750) will start immediately alongside friendly company in New York Giants linebackers Brian Burns, Tremaine Edmunds, and Kayvon Thibodeaux. If offenses key on all of these other stars, Reese could produce eye-popping stats.
Mansoor Delane (+850) will be tested early and often as the primary CB after the Kansas City Chiefs traded away both of last year’s starters. The Chiefs traded up to secure the draft’s top CB, and the former Virginia Tech and LSU standout will be playing in a big TV market that will create buzz if he starts making plays.
Sonny Styles (+900) will get the chance to play the Bobby Wagner role in the middle of Dan Quinn’s Washington Commanders defense. The converted safety led the Buckeyes in tackles last season, and he’ll benefit from playing alongside disruptive linebacker Frankie Luvu.
Caleb Downs (+900) will be a focal point of Dallas Cowboys’ new Defensive Coordinator Christian Parker’s 3-4 scheme. Parker brings familiarity with the division as former passing game coordinator and DBs coach for the Eagles, and he could put Downs in position to clean up a lot of broken plays behind a revamped defensive front
#Deadspin #exFordham #players #banned #betting #probe">Deadspin | Two ex-Fordham players banned after betting probe
Mar 11, 2023; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Fordham Rams guard Will Richardson (1) looks to drive past Dayton Flyers guard Koby Brea (4) in the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Two former Fordham men’s basketball players received permanent bans from the NCAA on Tuesday after a lengthy gambling investigation.
The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions found that Elijah Gray and Will Richardson participated in potential game manipulation for sports betting reasons.
According to the investigation, a $10,000 bet was placed on a February 2024 game involving Fordham in which the bettor wagered that the other team would win. NCAA enforcement staff identified three members of the roster with connections to the bettor, including Gray and Richardson.
Another member of the team told investigators he overheard Gray, Richardson and another student-athlete discussing the idea of throwing a game for money.
Gray admitted to agreeing to participate in the scheme in exchange for a payment of $10,000 to $15,000, but said he reconsidered and played with his normal effort and Fordham won the game. Richardson has denied involvement and he declined to cooperate with the investigation, which itself is an NCAA violation.
Gray, a 6-foot-8 forward, played two seasons at Fordham (2022-24) before transferring to Temple for the 2024-25 season. He transferred again to Wisconsin but was dismissed from the program last October amid the investigation. Gray averaged 5.7 points in 61 games (nine starts) for the Rams.
Richardson, a 6-foot-3 guard, played three seasons at Fordham (2022-25) before transferring to Albany, where he was dismissed from the program in December without appearing in a game. He averaged 7.9 points in 73 games (41 starts) for the Rams.
The bettors involved in the plot were indicted in January by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on wire fraud and bribery charges related to sports contests.
#Vincent #Kompany #touchline #Bayerns #UEFA #Champions #League #semifinal #PSG">Why is Vincent Kompany not on the touchline for Bayern’s UEFA Champions League semifinal against PSG?
Bayern Munich will take on Paris Saint-Germain in a UEFA Champions League 2025-26 semifinal clash at the Parc des Princes in Paris on Tuesday.
Bayern will look to enter its first Champions League final in five years, as it hopes to get an advantage to take back home for the second leg.
Despite entering arguably its toughest game of the season, Bayern will be without its head coach, Vincent Kompany.
Why is Vincent Kompany not on the sidelines for Bayern Munich vs PSG?
Vincent Kompany will not be on the sidelines for Bayern Munich’s Champions League semifinal first leg after being suspended, with assistant Aaron Danks set to take over the duties.
Kompany was booked in Bayern’s thrilling quarterfinal win over Real Madrid for disputing the referee’s decision to allow the opposition to play on and score after a hard tackle on Bayern defender Josip Stanisic. It was his third yellow card in what was Bayern’s 12th Champions League game of the season.
He argued that UEFA should relax the rules now that there are more games than ever.
“It’s an extended format, and it’s the strictest-ever ruling with a lot of interpretation from referees, where sometimes you can get a yellow card wrong as well. So what happens then?” Kompany said after the game.
However, he placed confidence in Aaron Danks to steer the side through the first leg.
“Danksy has plenty of experience, was on the touchline for a while in England. I’ve got 100% confidence in the staff and everyone else,” Kompany said.
Kompany was still involved in training on Monday before Bayern departed for Paris, but he will be barred from the team’s locker room and bench at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday.
#Deadspin #PWHL #officially #passes #attendance #mark #time">Deadspin | PWHL officially passes 1M attendance mark for first time
Nov 30, 2024; Toronto, ON, CANADA; Toronto Sceptres forward Jesse Compher (18) joins team mates and fans as they celebrate a goal scored by forward Hannah Miller (34) against the Boston Fleet in the third period at Coca-Cola Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
The Professional Women’s Hockey League surpassed one million fans in the regular season for the first time in its three-season history, the league announced Tuesday.
In all, 120 games were played, with slightly more than 1.1 million people filling the seats for an average of 9,304 per game.
That total is an increase of 28 percent over last season, including the playoffs, and 71% over the first season of 2023-24. The average total of fans in the stands was 5,448 per game in the first season, 7,230 in the second.
On April 17, the PWHL surpassed one million fans in a single season for the first time in league history, reaching the milestone in 109 regular season games, 30% fewer than the PWHL needed to reach its first million fans.
The attendance mark was helped by the addition of the expansion Seattle Torrent and Vancouver Goldeneyes, which The Athletic reported had the largest average attendance of all franchises at home this season. Seattle averaged 12,875 fans, with Vancouver bringing in 11,234 per game.
The league is expected to announce further expansion soon.
Before that, the league will hold the Walker Cup Playoffs beginning Thursday. The top-seeded Montreal Victoire and reigning champion Minnesota Frost will meet in one semifinal, with the Boston Fleet and Ottawa Charge in the other pairing. The winners of the two best-of-five series will play for the Walker Cup.
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