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The Baltimore Ravens once again turned in a masterful draft, picking up a bunch of steals and earning rave reviews for their work in the 2020 NFL Draft. Among their first picks was Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins. While many Ravens fans didn’t love the idea of taking a running back that early in the draft, fans of rival teams hating Baltimore for the selection helped create a quick about-face for the Dobbins’ pick. Apparently, oddsmakers are also big fans of what Dobbins could do with the Ravens.
According to BetMGM, Dobbins has the eighth-best odds of winning the 2020 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. While Dobbins rightfully falls behind the No. 1 overall pick in Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, who holds the top odds, he’s ahead of a number of players that got drafted well before him.
Dobbins has better odds than several first-round picks, like Las Vegas wide receiver Henry Ruggs III (12th overall), Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jaelen Reagor (21st overall), and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (22nd overall). Dobbins was the fifth running back selected in the 2020 NFL Draft but holds the fourth-best odds at that position, beating Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers (52nd overall).
There’s good reason to think Dobbins could have the type of season worthy of awards. While Baltimore has Mark Ingram as their starter, Dobbins will likely see some playing time as a rookie. If Dobbins is simply amazing and eats into Ingram’s snaps or there’s an injury that pushes him into the starting role, the Ravens’ offense is primed for blockbuster stats.
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Baltimore was the best rushing team in the league last season, breaking a 41-year old record for single-season rushing yards. Granted, quarterback Lamar Jackson was the Ravens’ top runner last year, breaking his own records, Ingram and Gus Edwards got plenty of yards and rushing touchdowns on their own. Ingram and Edwards combined for 1,729 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns on 335 total carries, adding another 292 receiving yards and touchdown receptions on 33 combined catches.
If Baltimore can muster anywhere near the success they had on the ground last season and Dobbins gets serious playing time, he should at least be in the running for the rookie award.
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