Top 10 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year candidates in 2025: Can Travis Hunter be denied?

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With NFL training camps opening around the league this week, it’s almost time for us to stop projecting how rookies will handle the step up in competition and see how things go in real life. But before we get there, I have one more forecast for you. Below are my top 10 candidates to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2025. Eight of the 10 players I included were first-round picks, which is in line with how things shook out for the top 10 vote-getters for the award last season.

Here are a few other trends to note:

Eight of the last 10 OROYs were drafted in the top 10, including each of the last seven winners.

The No. 1 overall pick has won the award only once in the last 13 years (Kyler Murray, 2019).

No offensive lineman has ever won the award.

With that, here are my top contenders to succeed Jayden Daniels as OROY.

NOTE: The odds below, provided by Caesars Sportsbook, are current as of 11:30 a.m. ET on Monday, July 21 unless otherwise noted.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Drafted: Round 1, No. 19 overall

I’m a little surprised Egbuka isn’t getting more love from the oddsmakers. I know he could easily find himself as a distant third wheel at receiver with star veterans Mike Evans and Chris Godwin returning as trusted targets for Baker Mayfield. Also, the Bucs have not forgotten about Jalen McMillan, who had seven touchdown grabs in the final five games of the 2024 regular season, when Godwin was sidelined by an ankle injury. The presence of those three wideouts are obstacles to an OROY candidacy, to be sure. But Egbuka was a top-20 pick for a reason, and GM Jason Licht has a strong track record in the draft. With the other weapons commanding attention from defenses, Egbuka could consistently find himself in favorable matchups. He has the football IQ, toughness and ball-tracking ability to make the most of those situations. And we still need to see if Godwin is the same guy in his return from injury; Tampa Bay Times beat writer Rick Stroud reports that the 29-year-old won’t participate in team-related activities to begin training camp. As my esteemed colleague Gennaro Filice wrote last month, don’t sleep on this Bucs offense (or Egbuka)!

Chicago Bears

Drafted: Round 1, No. 10 overall

Right off the bat, it’s worth noting that no tight end has won Rookie of the Year since 1961, when the Bears’ Mike Ditka took home the honor in the first year of his Pro Football Hall of Fame career. It would be fitting if a Bears tight end followed in Ditka’s footsteps. First, Loveland must prove he’s healthy after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, and the good news is he expects to be full go when training camp practices begin this week. He couldn’t ask for a much better situation to walk into, with Ben Johnson calling the plays a couple years after he coached Sam LaPorta to a Pro Bowl season as a rookie tight end for the Lions. Loveland exemplifies the modern-era player at the position, featuring the rare combination of size and athleticism to make highlight-reel grabs and force defenders to miss tackles after the catch. If the offense clicks in Year 2 of the Caleb Williams era, Loveland could be hearing his name attached to multiple accolades. Also, while he didn’t make my top 10, it would not be a major surprise if another tight end — Tyler Warren, who was drafted four picks after Loveland — works his way into the OROY conversation, too. I like Loveland’s upside and overall situation better right now, though.

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