By Donny Black
The NFL Draft is one of the best betting events of the year. The massive interest around the Draft, in recent years, has grown the market and the menu of possible wagers one can make on the outcomes of each selection. I will be writing a series of NFL Draft articles that will be breaking down various bets that offer serious value.
Over the next couple of months, the NFL Mock Drafts will be the buzz and things will really start to heat up in March, when the NFL Combine begins. Now is the time to lock in some prices for the NFL Draft. There is more excitement surrounding the Draft in 2023, considering that last year we didn’t have a single high profile signal caller. This year we have three sure fire quarterbacks that will be selected in the Top 10 in this Draft Class. As of right now, the First Overall Pick market is the one that is widely available, so here is a look at the current odds:
Bryce Young -135
CJ Stroud +250
Jalen Carter +550
Will Anderson, Jr. +550
Will Levis +1000
Let’s start with the favorite in this market – Bryce Young. I believe he is an extremely vulnerable favorite right now. For starters, The Chicago Bears will not be drafting a QB. In order for this to cash, a QB needy team will need to trade for the First Overall pick and think Bryce Young will be their franchise savior for years to come. The problem with Bryce Young is his size. He is listed at 6 feet and 190 pounds. Everyone knows that is a flat out lie. He is a generous 5’ 10’’, has serious injury concerns, and if his body type can take the hits in today’s NFL. One thing you must take into account is how will a QB deal with being on a losing team with not a lot of talent around him to start his career.
Bryce played at Alabama. He had All-Americans blocking for him and 5 star skill players surrounding him. First overall pick quarterbacks have to go through a lot of growing pains in the NFL to start their careers. Typically, they’re going to take a ton of sacks and they will be running for their lives. Can Bryce hold up? I am willing to bet this is a huge concern for NFL scouts and General Managers and could cause him to slide down big boards. Bryce Young could very well be a future star in this league. However, I find it hard to believe a team would trade away a ton of draft capital to move up to the first overall pick and select a quarterback with serious size concerns.
Photo Credit: swimfinfan
