2019 NFL Rookie of Year Odds: Saquon Barkley Favorite over Baker Mayfield

According to BetOnline, New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley is the betting favorite over Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield for the NFL's Rookie of the Year award: 

The Barkley vs. Mayfield debate is a good one.

If you want to pick the player most valuable to his team, then Mayfield is the no-brainer pick.

The Browns went 1-32-1 in their 34 games under head coach Hue Jackson prior to Mayfield taking the field midway through Week 3. The team proceeded to go 7-7 in their last 14 games and even skirted the periphery of the AFC playoff race near the end of the year.

Mayfield's impact did not go unnoticed, as he tossed 27 touchdown passes, completed 63.8 percent of his passes and threw for 7.7 yards per pass attempt.

If you want to be the best rookie in the league regardless of position or value to the team, then Barkley is the automatic selection.

The former Penn State star accounted for 2,028 yards from scrimmage and 15 touchdowns despite the team's struggling offensive line and inconsistent passing attack. Barkley is just one of three rookies to amass 2,000 or more yards from scrimmage in his first season, with Eric Dickerson and Edgerrin James being the other two.

The 21-year-old also caught 91 passes, which led the team. He also never turned the ball over.

Barkley's ability to break off big plays was a source for some of the 2018 season's best highlights. In fact, nearly everything he did in a 40-16 win over the Washington Redskins was a highlight:

He had 197 yards from scrimmage on 18 touches that afternoon.

You can't go wrong with either choice, but given how well Mayfield and Barkley did this season, it wouldn't be shocking to talk about the top two picks in the 2018 NFL draft fighting for MVP trophies soon.