7. Carson Beck, QB, Arizona Cardinals
If Carson Beck ends up starting a lot of games for the Arizona Cardinals this year, he's at least an option for this award, isn't he?
Nobody seems to be really expecting much out of Beck, but the same could be said of Tyler Shough last year with the Saints. Beck played a lot of football at the college level between his time at Georgia and Miami, and he was part of winning a lot of games.
He may not be the most overwhelming prospect we've seen at quarterback, but in Mike LaFleur's offense, he's at least got a shot. If he can limit turnovers and make smart decisions, he's got an outside shot to win the award.
6. De'Zhaun Stribling, WR, San Francisco 49ers
This will be the hottest take of the entire rankings list, but I'm not counting 49ers rookie receiver De'Zhaun Stribling out of the NFL OROY race. Stribling was one of the most controversial picks early in the 2026 NFL Draft, and even the most optimistic 49ers fans were wondering what in the world John Lynch was doing.
But you never know what a guy is going to do with a great opportunity. The 49ers have one of the best offenses in the entire NFL, and Stribling could benefit from that. This receiver room is completely unrecognizable from what it's been in recent years with guys like Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and Jauan Jennings all gone.
Even though other players will be higher on the initial pecking order, it wouldn't be shocking to see the 49ers motivated to prove themselves right about picking Stribling in the first place.
5. Jordyn Tyson, WR, New Orleans Saints
Given the way last season ended for the Saints, getting weapons for Tyler Shough was a non-negotiable on the offseason to-do list. They made that happen in a big way.
Not only did the Saints bring in veteran running back Travis Etienne coming off of a huge year for the Jaguars, but they spent their top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Jordyn Tyson, a big-play receiver out of Arizona State.
The biggest reason Tyson is 5th on this list and not in the top 3 overall is his injury history. And last year, they were of the dreaded "soft tissue" variety. It's simply not going to work out at the NFL level if Tyson is constantly nursing soft tissue injuries, but the Saints were willing to take the risk.
The talent is outstanding, and the boom or bust potential is a bit terrifying.
4. Fernando Mendoza, QB, Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders have made it clear that the goal is to have Kirk Cousins start for them this entire season. They ideally want to see #1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza learn for a year while Cousins sets the table for him.
But does anyone really believe that's going to happen?
I'm going to give it half a season, maybe less. And we'll see how legitimate of a contender for OROY Mendoza ends up being if he only plays roughly half a season. We saw Tyler Shough contend for OROY last year despite not taking over until midway through the year, but it would be tough.
If Mendoza is starting from Day 1, he's probably going to vault to the top of this list.
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