With September closing in and the NFL season about to get rolling, the early Defensive Rookie of the Year conversation is already taking shape. And as usual, the race leans heavily toward the pass rushers - the type of players who can rack up sacks, pile up tackles, and force their way into the spotlight fast.
Kalshi’s early DROY power rankings reflect that trend, with David Bailey of the Jets at No. 1 and Rueben Bain of the Buccaneers right behind him. Caleb Downs of the Cowboys sits third, followed by Arvell Reese of the Giants, Sonny Styles of the Commanders, Akheem Mesidor of the Chargers, Brandon Cisse of the Packers, Mansoor Delane of the Chiefs, CJ Allen of the Colts and Dillon Thieneman of the Bears.
NFL DROY Power Rankings, via Kalshi forecasts:
- David Bailey (NYJ)
- Rueben Bain (TB)
- Caleb Downs (DAL)
- Arvell Reese (NYG)
- Sonny Styles (WSH)
- Akheem Mesidor (LAC)
- Brandon Cisse (GB)
- Mansoor Delane (KC)
- CJ Allen (IND)
- Dillon Thieneman (CHI) pic.twitter.com/rga7ZWEhxw
- Kalshi Sports (@KalshiSports) August 14, 2026
Among the rookies with the clearest path to the award, Downs brings a different kind of case. It has been more than 35 years since a safety won Defensive Rookie of the Year, but Dallas could give him the kind of freedom that makes a real run possible.
The key will be using him as the versatile defender he was in college, moving him around the field so he can make tackles, collect sacks and create takeaways. If he fills that role, he’ll be impossible to ignore.
Mansoor Delane has his own lane in Kansas City. Labeled the best cornerback in the recent draft, the LSU product is expected to step right into a CB1 job and be trusted to play like the lockdown defender scouts believe he can be. Rookie corners get tested early and often, but if Delane holds up and finishes with at least four interceptions, he’ll have a strong case in the DROY race.
Sonny Styles is another name to watch in Washington. He could open the season as a Week 1 starter and get a chance to establish himself as a three-down off-ball linebacker with enough athleticism to contribute as a sack threat and tackle machine.
His size and movement skills give him real presence, and the way the Commanders deploy him will say plenty about the impact he can make. If they use him in a flexible role, Styles belongs in the conversation.
Then there’s Bain, the pass rusher who enters the season as the clear favorite. Tampa Bay is expected to give him a full-time starting job from Week 1, and that should put him in position to make a statement quickly.
He was taken No. 15 overall, and the Buccaneers are banking on him proving that was too low. With EDGE rushers winning five of the last seven Defensive Rookie of the Year awards, Bain has the kind of profile this award usually loves.
That makes this one feel like his to lose.
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