2024 NFL Draft: Our favorite NFL Draft odds for the first round

The 2024 NFL Draft is right around the corner with all attention turning to the first round of the draft Thursday night!

After the 2023 college football season and an in-depth draft process, the outlook for the first round is just about set. By all accounts, USC quarterback Caleb Williams is bound to be the top pick by the Chicago Bears, but the rest of the first round includes some questions at key spots.

Will a QB-needy team jump up to select JJ McCarthy in the top 5? Is Alabama’s Dallas Turner the top defensive prospect available? How many total QBs will come off the board in the first round?

Fans can head to FanDuel to track all the odds for the draft and get in on the first-round action. Within the Big Ten, here are some of our favorite odds for this year’s draft:

Marvin Harrison Jr. -275 as No. 4 overall pick (via ESPN Bet)

Ideally, the odds would be more favorable, but part of this pick is staying away from JJ McCarthy at +350 to be the No. 4 overall pick.

Look, I get it. Teams hungry for a QB will be calling the Arizona Cardinals and offering trade packages to move into the 4th slot. However, the Cardinals will be kicking themselves if they make a deal to move back.

There is a deep pool of receivers available, so Arizona can move back and still get a big-time talent at the position. However, there’s only one Marvin Harrison Jr.

With his elite catch radius, top-end game speed, polished route-running and highlight-reel grabs, Harrison should still be viewed as the best WR available. Arizona cannot pass up this opportunity, and I don’t think they will.

JJ McCarthy draft position OVER 5.5 (+115 via ESPN Bet)

This pick comes down to value (McCarthy’s draft position being under 5.5 is -145), and an expectation of what I think will play out at the No. 4 overall pick. By most accounts, the top 3 is set in stone with Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye to come off the board regardless of the order.

If Arizona stays at No. 4, the Cardinals will likely select their favorite receiver whether that is Harrison or one of the other top wideouts. That scenario playing out would leave just the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 5 for McCarthy to hit the under, and the Chargers (now led by Jim Harbaugh) are not in the hunt for a QB.

The Chargers could certainly trade back, but it requires finding the right trade package in order to move back. Some team could sell the farm for McCarthy, but don’t expect any team to put together a package large enough to get Arizona or LA to move out of their top-5 pick.

JJ McCarthy to be drafted by Minnesota Vikings (+140 via DraftKings)

McCarthy’s ultimate draft slot remains to be seen, but the Vikings look like a team gearing up to make a splash in the draft after letting Kirk Cousins walk in free agency. Other teams to consider are the New York Giants (+275) and the Denver Broncos (+300), but the Vikings look like the play here.

The Giants may not be sold on Daniel Jones as the QB for the future, but they have a chance to use the No. 6 overall pick to select a potential difference-maker at wide receiver on the defense.

For Minnesota, the Vikings have some young pieces in place but also need to work on giving Justin Jefferson a young QB to work with in hopes of signing the key receiver to a long-term deal.

Blake Corum to be drafted by LA Chargers (+190 via DraftKings)

Blake Corum is not likely to be a first-round pick, but it’s certainly notable that Jim Harbaugh’s new team is the favorite to draft his former All-American running back from Michigan. It’s also a situation of need for the Chargers.

Austin Ekeler left the franchise via free agency, and Los Angeles has mostly added complimentary pieces in replacing the veteran. The Chargers have signed Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins, but neither of those guys is likely to be the featured piece in the backfield.

Corum brings plug-and-play potential as a rookie, and adding another running back in the draft would give Los Angeles depth and a young workhorse to go with the other pieces added in free agency.