Despite four picks in the top in the top-81 of the NFL Draft, the Raiders selected just one defensive player; cornerback Damon Arnette at pick No. 19. While the pick surprised many, it was a pretty easy for Mike Mayock and company as the team believed he was arguably the best cornerback in the class.
Given how high the Raiders took Arnette, it seems likely that he will get on the field early. But what are his chances of winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award?
At BetMGM, they have released their odds for the award and not surprisingly, No. 2 overall pick Chase Young is the favorite at +220. But what is surprising is how big of an underdog Arnette is to take home the award. Sitting at +4000, 18 defenders have better odds than the former Ohio State cornerback, including five cornerbacks.
Unfortunately, cornerbacks just don’t win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Since 2000, only two cornerbacks have taken home the award and they were Marcus Lattimore (2017) and Marcus Peters (2015). Both of those players started as rookies and combined for 13 interceptions. It also didn’t hurt that both players were on playoff teams that won 11 games each that season.
Arnette will play a lot for the Raiders, but it seems unlikely that he will be able to match that production and his team likely won’t be able to replicate the same team success as the Saints and Chiefs had. While Arnette could have a nice season for the Raiders in 2020, don’t bet on him to win any awards given the position he plays.
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