Betting Stuff: My favorite bets for the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft

The 2024 NFL Draft has finally arrived. A new class of stars officially enters the league, with Chicago going on the clock shortly after 8 p.m. ET Thursday night.

Chalk seems likely with the first 3 picks of the first round. Caleb Williams is widely expected to go No. 1. Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye are expected to come off the board after him. Then, things will get interesting. We could get a flurry of trades. We could see as many as 6 quarterbacks selected in the first round. We’ll see players slide. We’ll see some surprises.

Here are my favorite bets ahead of the fun.

Alabama OL JC Latham to be first offensive lineman drafted (+250 via FanDuel)

The Chargers, same as just about every team in the 4-10 range in this draft, are rumored to be a trade partner for one of the quarterback-needy teams that want to move up and draft their signal caller of the future. But first-year GM Joe Horitz has said he won’t deal the pick for just a “fair trade” and supplying first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh with a powerful offensive tackle to build inside-out will make both Harbaugh and quarterback Justin Herbert happy.

Latham-to-the-Chargers could happen a couple of ways. The Chargers could trade down a few spots and still land the Alabama tackle. In that scenario, he probably isn’t the first lineman off the board. That honor could belong to Joe Alt, who might not slip past the Titans if the Vikings have already moved up. But L.A. could also just draft him fifth and feel fine about it. Latham fits Harbaugh’s style of play, and while some think the Chargers might be in the wideout market after parting ways with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams this offseason, L.A. can fill its receiver needs later on down the board. Receivers might slide in this first round at the expense of positions with more elite scarcity — like offensive line.

Related Reading: The one and only Tradition Mock Draft

Iowa CB Cooper DeJean to be drafted by the Green Bay Packers (+600 via FanDuel)

Daniel Jeremiah (NFL.com), Peter Schrager (NFL.com), and Dane Brugler (The Athletic) all have the Packers drafting DeJean with the 25th overall pick. CBS Sports has Green Bay trading up to No. 16 to take DeJean. The former All-American checks every box for Green Bay, which could use an infusion of young talent in the secondary.

DeJean was a unanimous All-American at Iowa with 7 interceptions in the last 2 years (3 of them returned for touchdowns). He’s athletic and versatile — capable of playing corner or safety — and he’d fit quite nicely into Jeff Hafley’s defense. DeJean’s 2023 season was marred by a broken leg, but his Pro Day performance put any concerns about his health to bed.

Green Bay’s secondary was mediocre in 2023. The team’s 7 interceptions matched the 2018 squad for the fewest in a season since 1940. Green Bay GM Brian Gutekunst has said he wants to shore up the back end of the defense, and DeJean is the guy to do that.

And if Green Bay starts getting concerned about how the board is shaking out, it has the ammo to move up and get its man.

Tampa Bay Bucs’ first drafted player to be defensive lineman/edge rusher (+170 via FanDuel)

The Bucs ranked 24th in pressure percentage (27%) despite blitzing at the third-highest rate in the NFL (40%) last season, per ESPN. They parted with Pro Bowler Shaq Barrett after the season in a cost-saving move and didn’t really do anything to replace him in free agency, which puts a ton of attention on the edge rusher class late in the first round for Tampa Bay.

The two Robinsons — Chop from Penn State or Darius from Missouri — might both be available when Tampa Bay gets on the clock at No. 26. UCLA edge Laiatu Latu is a guy who could swing a bit in the draft because of his checkered medical history. Without that, he’s a top-10 talent. Maybe someone jumps for him early. Maybe teams are hesitant. Tampa Bay would have to feel outstanding if it came away with Latu (23.5 sacks in 2 years at UCLA) late in the first. The Bucs could also try and move a few spots up the board to get Florida State’s Jared Verse if he slides a bit.

Philadelphia Eagles’ first drafted player to be cornerback (+115 via FanDuel)

Like with Tampa, there’s a clear area to target for the Eagles. When the late-season collapse happened (1-5 after a 10-1 start), the secondary fell apart. In the 32-9 Wild Card loss to Tampa Bay, Baker Mayfield threw for 337 yards and 3 touchdowns. During those final 6 losses to end the year, quarterbacks averaged 278 yards through the air with 14 total touchdowns and only 2 interceptions against the Eagles’ secondary.

The secondary needs some youth. The best way to get young and better is through the draft. Philly hasn’t drafted a corner in the first round since 2002, but it needs to this year. Perhaps the Eagles trade up and target Toledo corner Quinyon Mitchell. Kool-Aid McKinstry or Nate Wiggins might still be on the clock when they pick at No. 22.

Some sportsbooks think offensive line is the most likely path for Philly, which needs to replace the recently retired Jason Kelce and has to consider finding a successor to Lane Johnson sooner rather than later. But Saquon Barkley’s addition to the offense should help a ground game that wasn’t bad to begin with last year. The secondary is the more pressing need, and there are more than a few options on the board Philadelphia should feel good about. ESPN BET has Philly’s odds of drafting a corner with its first pick at -130, BetMGM has the same prop priced at -110, and yet there’s positive value at FanDuel. I’m jumping on this one.

Marvin Harrison Jr. to win Offensive Rookie of the Year (+600 via FanDuel)

Not draft-related, but several sportsbooks already have futures available for Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year. There are some who believe Harrison is the best NFL talent in this entire draft class. The gap between the No. 1 and No. 3 receivers in this class isn’t quite as large as some believe and any of the 3 could feasibly win Rookie of the Year honors next season, in the right situation.

Looking ahead, 1 of the 3 wideouts will end up in New York with the Giants. Betting on Daniel Jones just doesn’t feel safe at this point. If another lands with the New York Jets and teams up with Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams, the volume might not be there. Harrison to the Arizona Cardinals is widely expected to become reality Thursday night, and his partnership with Kyler Murray could prove fruitful.

Harrison would have no one to challenge him for the WR1 mantle. Since 2019, the AP Rookie of the Year award has gone to a quarterback 3 times and a wide receiver twice. Ohio State, by the way, has produced the last 2 NFL Offensive Rookies of the Year. Harrison can make it 3-for-3, and there’s a ton of value here.