The NFL season is right around the corner, and the excitement for football to return continues to grow every day. Older players look to continue to prove themselves, while younger stars hope to make a name for themselves.
The 2023 rookie class is one of the most exciting classes the NFL has had in a couple of years, specifically on the offensive side of the ball. All three 1st Round QBs have been named Week 1 starters, Bijan Robinson headlines a stacked running back class, the wide receivers are very deep, and plenty of tight ends will make impacts right away.
There are plenty of options to choose from to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, and unlike the MVP award, this one doesn’t favor quarterbacks. Over the last 10 seasons, the position with the most wins is running back with four. The last running back to win the award was Saquon Barkley in 2018.
Here are two running backs who can win Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Even though he didn’t go No. 1 overall in this past draft, Bijan Robinson is the rookie everyone is most excited about this season. From a fantasy perspective, he’s going mid-to-late first round, which is unheard of for a rookie running back. However, he is going to dominate the NFL.
Robinson enjoyed an excellent career at Texas, rushing for 3,419 yards and 33 touchdowns in his three seasons. He also added 60 catches for 805 yards and eight touchdowns in the passing game. In his final season for the Longhorns, Robinson was a Consensus All-American and took home the Doak Walker Award.
The Falcons boasted an excellent rushing attack last season, ranking 1st in rushing attempts (559), 3rd in rushing yards (2,718), 10th in rushing touchdowns (17), and 4th in yards per carry (4.9). Rookie Tyler Allgeier rushed for 1,035 yards and three touchdowns on 210 carries last season for Atlanta.
Robinson is a much better running back than Allgeier, and with the Falcons running a similar scheme this season, he will have a monster season. Robinson is currently the favorite in NFL Offensive ROY odds at +300, and that’s probably the best value you’ll get with him.
Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
Behind Bijan Robinson, the running back everyone is most excited to watch is Jahmyr Gibbs.
Drafted out of Alabama, he is expected to be very close on par with Robinson, but Gibbs has a solid chance of being the top running back in his class. Gibbs’s ability to run and catch out of the backfield makes him an excellent offensive weapon.
In his first two seasons with Georgia Tech, Gibbs rushed for 1,206 yards and eight touchdowns on 232 carries while contributing 60 catches for 773 yards and five touchdowns through the air. In his lone season out of Alabama last year, Gibbs had 151 carries for 926 yards and seven touchdowns. He also had 44 catches for 444 yards and three touchdowns.
Jamaal Williams became the first Lions running back since 2013 to rush for 1,000 yards last season when he had 1,066. Williams also set a Lions single-season record for touchdowns with 17. However, he’s no longer in the picture, along with Detroit trading D’Andre Swift to the Philadelphia Eagles on draft night.
Even though the Lions signed David Montgomery, it’s clear Gibbs will be the main running back in this offense. Gibbs could easily assume the Christian McCaffrey/Austin Ekeler-type role in this offense. After all, the Lions will look to air the ball out a ton. Gibbs’ odds of winning Offensive Rookie of the Year are currently +900. It will only get lower for NFL betting.
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