By Ryan Bologna
The first round of the NFL Draft has come and gone. Here are some things to take away from the night and much to look forward to in the middle rounds.
The most telling part of the first round of the NFL Draft was how down the league is on the quarterbacks. Kenny Pickett was selected by the Steelers at 20th overall and he was the only quarterback to be selected in the first round. Three teams traded up for the spots 11, 12, and 13, and none of them took a quarterback. This leaves Malik Willis, Matt Corral, Desmond Ridder, and Sam Howell as potential picks for day two.
Kenny Pickett hears his name called as he's drafted by the Steelers. pic.twitter.com/psEJQmGUPN
— Matt Freed (@mattfreedpghpg) April 29, 2022
When the Lions traded all the way up to 12th from the last pick in the first round, making the deal with their division rival the Minnesota Vikings, it felt like the first quarterback would come off the board. The Lions however went with wide receiver Jameson Williams.
The first five picks of the draft were defensive players, with a few surprises mixed in. Derek Stingley Jr. was picked up by the Houston Texans with the third pick, which was a surprise given that he missed a lot of playing time due to injuries since 2019. The New York Giants were expected by many to pick an offensive tackle at the fifth spot, but they opted for edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux. The Giant eventually picked up their offensive tackle at the seventh pick with Evan Neal.
Make-A-Wish's Sam Prince is hyped to make Kayvon Thibodeaux the newest New York Giant. 👏@kayvont | @giants
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The destinations these prospects ended up going to will have an impact on the Rookie Of The Year Awards. Pickett is the favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year with +450 odds, followed by wide receiver Drake London, who was selected by the Falcons at the eighth pick.
The Defensive Rookie of the Year odds are dominated by the edge rushers. Aidan Hutchinson, selected second overall by the Lion,s is the favorite with odds set at +400. Hutchinson is closely followed by Thibodeaux at +450, Walker at +550, and Jermain Johnson II at +700.
Just because the first round is over doesn’t mean there aren’t still plenty of bets to make ahead of night two. There are the usual draft position over/unders, where you can bet on a guy like John Metchie to go over or under 56.5 with -115 odds for both options. There will be a prop for the second quarterback selected, with Willis as the favorite at -550 followed by Ridder at +450.
It should be expected to see a lot of action with running backs and tight ends on day two as well with some of the best bets available. Breece Hall is the favorite to be the first running back selected with -270 odds, but you can also bet on who will be the second running back selected. The favorite for that bet is Kenneth Walker III at -225, but Isaiah Spiller at +600 and James Cook at +650 could be good value plays.
There could be another good value play for the first tight end off the board. Trey McBride is the favorite at -450, but with how unpredictable the middle rounds can be, Greg Dulcich at +350 is another bet to consider.
Along with these bets, there is plenty of talent remaining to keep an eye on for rounds two and three. Guys like Nakobe Dean and Andrew Booth Jr. are players who can make impacts on their teams in year one that should go early on. Let’s hope for another entertaining night in Las Vegas.
Picture Credit: Chris Rubino
