Breaking Down The 2026 Offensive Rookie Of The Year Race
Maxwell Solomon
Host · Writer
The 2026 Offensive Rookie Of The Year race appears to be a tricky one as the season nears its start. There’s no clear-cut favorite or bona fide star, with few rookies kicking off their careers as starters.
An example of this is No. 1 pick, Fernando Mendoza. Typically, a quarterback picked first overall is locked in as a starter, but the Las Vegas Raiders decided that Kirk Cousins will be leading them out in Week 1. With no guaranteed winner, here’s a look at who’s got the best chance at winning offensive rookie of the year.
2026 Offensive Rookie Of The Year Favorites
Jeremiyah Love, the running back selected with the third overall pick, is the favorite as of right now. The Notre Dame product has immense talent, and fans have even seen early flashes of a running style similar to Adrian Peterson. He’s a powerful runner with the ability to make defenders miss. He does face some roadblocks in his first professional campaign, though.
The biggest obstacle is the Arizona Cardinals’ crowded backfield. Love joins fellow backs James Conner and Tyler Allgeier. Conner has been the lead runner for four of the past five seasons, but dealt with injuries last year. The 31-year-old will begin the season on IR, meaning he’ll miss at least the first four games. Allgeier comes over from Atlanta after signing a 2-year, $12.25 million contract in free agency. Both should be threats to the rookie for touches early on.
Carnell Tate of the Tennessee Titans will also have a chance. The No. 4 overall pick looks to be a top pass catcher for Cam Ward, who’s heading into his second season.
The Ohio State product was the first receiver off the board, and for good reason. Despite always playing with elite talent in college, Tate stood out. He may not be the biggest or fastest player, but his route running, body control, and hands are precise and notable skills that will help him make the jump to NFL competition. His biggest drawback will be Tennessee’s offense. The unit ranked 31st last year, and if Ward doesn’t show much improvement in his sophomore season, then Tate may not put up the stats necessary to win.
Jadarian Price is among the favorites too. He’s got the best opportunity at a starting role out of the gate with running back Zach Charbonnet starting the year on the PUP list, meaning he’ll miss at least the first four weeks. Love’s former teammate at Notre Dame, Price has little competition in the backfield, with George Holani and Emmanuel Wilson as the other backs. The rookie’s speed and quickness are a big strength of his game.
Price was never a lead back in college, with Love being the bellcow. It’ll be interesting to see if the Seattle Seahawks trust their first-round pick to handle more carries than he ever did at the collegiate level. Another downside will be what happens when Charbonnet returns. Does Price split the touches with Charbonnet, or will one running back take over?
Another rookie in the running is Philadelphia Eagles’ Makai Lemon. The wide receiver was the 20th overall pick in the draft out of USC. After winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award last year, Philadelphia is hoping Lemon will help offset the blow of losing AJ Brown.
Unfortunately for the rookie, he missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury. Reps in practice and the preseason are key for first-year players learning a new system in a new environment. Lemon’s got a ton of talent, particularly excelling in the middle of the field, but he’ll be playing catch-up to start the year.
There’s also Mendoza. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner and National Champion was selected first, but begins his NFL career as a backup. Quarterbacks consistently have an advantage for any award, but Mendoza will face challenges early on. If he gets the start within the first couple of months and does well on the field, then he’d be a big favorite.
Unfortunately for the former Indiana Hoosier, that appears unlikely. Cousins will be the starter until he either proves he shouldn’t be, or gets injured. Until then, new Nas Legas head coach Klint Kubiak will trust the veteran gunslinger to lead the offense while his rookie adapts to NFL defenses from the sidelines.
