In the dog days of the offseason, all of the rookies from the 2025 NFL Draft are getting acclimated to their new teams. With each rookie now in their home, DraftKings Sportsbook has posted the odds for both the Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year Awards. There were four players from the Steelers’ draft class who found their name listed, including Derrick Harmon, Kaleb Johnson, Jack Sawyer and Will Howard. Let’s take a look at the exact odds for each player.
DL Derrick Harmon, +2500
Although Harmon was the Steelers’ first-round pick, he won’t find it easy to win this award. At +2500, Harmon slots in below a handful of other defensive linemen and EDGE rushers. They include Donovan Ezeiruaku, Walter Nolen, Shemar Stewart, James Pierce Jr., Mason Graham, Mike Green and Abdul Carter.
If Harmon can get a good start to the year, he might have a chance. However, compared to some of those names with better odds, he might not get as much of a chance to prove himself. Cam Heyward and Keeanu Benton are already on the inside, and Yahya Black, another rookie, feels like he’ll be in the rotation as well. Harmon says it’s not an issue, but there were concerns about his shoulder during the draft as well. It’s not impossible for Harmon, but it won’t be easy.
All of that said, something must have happened to make the sportsbook more confident in Harmon. In late April, his odds were +3500.
Will Howard, +2500
Honestly, these odds are a little surprising. Howard is a sixth-round pick and doesn’t seem likely to get a ton of playing time this year. If Aaron Rodgers does sign with the Steelers, Howard will likely be the third-string quarterback. Even if Rodgers doesn’t sign, Howard would still probably back up Mason Rudolph.
Howard has better odds than a couple of quarterbacks selected ahead of him. Jaxson Dart, who was selected five rounds ahead of Howard, is at +3500. There’s a lot of hype around Howard recently, and he does have a good amount of potential. Still, these are surprisingly good rookie of the year odds for the Ohio State product.
Kaleb Johnson, +3000
Coming in just below Howard is Kaleb Johnson. This is also interesting, since Johnson will have a much bigger chance to make an impact in his rookie year. Johnson has the sixth-highest odds of all rookie running backs, which feels fair considering his draft position.
Coincidentally, Johnson’s odds have also improved. Like Harmon, his were at +3500 just a couple of weeks ago. Johnson will likely split carries with Jaylen Warren to start the year, but in Arthur Smith’s offense he should get plenty of touches. If it makes you more willing to bet on him, Johnson’s already set winning this award as a goal for his debut NFL season.
Jack Sawyer, +6000
Finally, coming in with the longest odds on the list is Jack Sawyer. He’s sandwiched between Kenneth Grant and Landon Jackson. This feels logical. Sawyer will be in the EDGE rotation, but there are three players ahead of him, and veterans at that. T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, as well as Nick Herbig will all get more reps than Sawyer to start the season.
If any of these players win the award, they will be the first Steeler to do so in about two decades. Their last Offensive Rookie of the Year was Ben Roethlisberger in 2004, and their last Defensive Rookie of the Year award winner was Kendrell Bell in 2001.
