If you blinked, we are now in Week 6 of the 2024 NFL season. There have been some major surprises, with some teams living up to the hype, while others have been disappointments for their respective fanbases. While things have been a little up and down for the Baltimore Ravens, Lamar Jackson and the offense are humming. Matter of fact, things have gone so well on that side of the ball, Derrick Henry is the new favorite to win NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Will he get the job done?
When Baltimore landed Henry in the offseason, a lot of people couldn't believe the Ravens front office decided to go after an aging running back. Fast forward to present time and it's looking like a brilliant decision. On the year, Henry has rushed for 572 yards, which leads the NFL, and he's tied for first with six rushing scores. No one predicted this kind of a start for him, but Henry indeed has been fantastic to watch.
| NFL OPOY odds |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry to win | +350 | +350 | +350 |
| Barkley to win | +450 | +450 | +450 |
| Jefferson to win | +650 | +650 | +650 |
| Collins to win | +850 | +850 | +850 |
According to the best sports betting sites, Henry holds +350 NFL betting odds to win Offensive Player of the Year. There are other contenders for this high honor, of course including Saquon Barkley, Justin Jefferson, Nico Collins, Ja'Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb, Jackson and others. It will be interesting to see how things turn out here, but we don't see Henry slowing down the rest of the campaign. The Baltimore running back is our pick, especially if he keeps helping Baltimore boost its Super Bowl betting odds.
Serious question... Have we ever seen this side of Derrick Henry?
He just looks so happy and genuinely excited to be part of this team and play with Lamar. From afar, he's always seemed very businesslike. https://t.co/UbJzoaVY5X
— Huddle It Up Films (@HuddleItUpFilms) October 6, 2024
Aidan Hutchinson and T.J. Watt are battling it out early for Defensive Player of the Year
Meanwhile on the other side of the ball, Aidan Hutchinson and T.J. Watt are battling it out early for Defensive Player of the Year, which should be no surprise at all. These are easily the top two pass-rushers in the game as outside linebackers and it's not close. Hutchinson has been an animal in the trenches for the Lions and he's hoping he can power Detroit to an NFC North title. The Lions have the tools to go on a deep postseason run.
As for Watt, he just suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Cowboys in Week 5's Sunday Night Football. In that loss, though, Watt was able to reach 100 sacks for his career, which is unreal. Watt has been one of the best defensive players for quite some time. The fact that his brother is future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt only makes things even more special for him. Watt is hoping he and the Steelers can make some noise in the AFC North this winter.
TJ Watt already has reached 100 career sacks.
He is the second-fastest player to get 100 sacks, behind only Reggie White.
Truly a generational player. pic.twitter.com/rRGfNj6vzC
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 7, 2024
"When you're one of two men in the sack conversation with the likes of the Minister of Defense (Reggie White), I think it says it all," head coach Mike Tomlin said of Watt Tomlin. "T.J.'s not only talented, he's driven. His work ethic and approach to the game, his intellect, all of those things match his talent. And so it's a perfect storm. You have a guy with elite talent relative to the position that he plays. He's strong-willed and hyper-focused, and he's got work ethic to boot."
Per the top NFL betting sites, Hutchinson currently holds the top NFL betting odds to win DPOY at +250, while Watt is right behind him at +350. From our chair, this looks like it's going to be a back-and-forth chase between the two for the rest of the season. It could come down to which player's team goes further in the postseason once they playoffs arrive. With that potentially being the case, we're going with Hutchinson as our pick.
Jayden Daniels is the favorite to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024
Last but not least, keep in mind that Washington Commanders star Jayden Daniels is the favorite to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024. Taken with the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft, Daniels arrived in Washington D.C. with high expectations and he has no question delivered so far, as the Commanders are at the top of the NFC East standings with a 4-1 record.
Behind Daniels, Caleb Williams and Malik Nabers are also getting a ton of love, as those two rookies are also fantastic for the Bears and Giants, respectively. However, it's hard to argue with the fact that Daniels has been the best of the group when it comes to first-year players. There's still a lot of ball left to be played, but Daniels, who holds +225 football betting odds to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, is surely our pick. He's a special player and fans are loving watching him put on a show each week.
