The Denver Broncos selected Von Miller with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, which should have automatically put him as one of the favorites to win the 2011 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. Any player taken that high is supposed to have the talent to be a standout player immediately.
It's no surprise that the odds makers are putting Miller at the top of their betting lines to win that award. Bodog.com has Miller at 11/2 odds, ahead of everyone else. Patrick Peterson, the fifth overall pick to the Arizona Cardinals, is second at 6/1. Marcell Dareus, selected third overall by the Buffalo Bills and out to destroy the Broncos later in the season for not selecting him, is third at 15/2 odds.
Miller's teammate, Rahim Moore, also appears with 10/1 odds. Think whatever you do about his hit on Donald Jones, but he could provide a powerful impact in the secondary.
Miller has a good chance at winning this award given his skill and what we've seen of him during the preseason. Also, linebacker is the position the award has gone to in recent years. Since 1967, 22 linebackers have won the award.
Oh, and the last Broncos rookie to win the award? Mike Croel in 1991, a linebacker and the fourth-overall pick in that year's draft.
Here are the complete odds:
| Player | Odds |
| Von Miller | 11/2 |
| Patrick Peterson | 6/1 |
| Marcell Dareus | 15/2 |
| Nick Fairley | 15/2 |
| Rahim Moore | 10/1 |
| Aldon Smith | 12/1 |
| Jimmy Smith | 12/1 |
| Bruce Carter | 15/1 |
| Adrian Clayborn | 16/1 |
| Cameron Jordan | 16/1 |
| JJ Watt | 16/1 |
| Robert Quinn | 16/1 |
| Ryan Kerrigan | 16/1 |
| Cameron Heyward | 18/1 |
| Casey Matthews | 18/1 |
| Da'Quan Bowers | 18/1 |
| Aaron Williams | 20/1 |
| Corey Liuget | 20/1 |
| Muhammad Wilkerson | 20/1 |
| Jabaal Sheard | 25/1 |
| Phil Taylor | 25/1 |