A Pair Of Receivers Could Sneak Into First Round
Oregon Quarterback Bo Nix Could be Among First-Round Betting Surprises in 2024 NFL Draft
The End of the First Round on Thursday Could Feature Some NFL Draft Surprises
Much of the attention on the first night of the 2024 NFL Draft will be focused on former Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams as the USC quarterback will be the first player chosen. Other quarterbacks are expected to be taken with the No. 2 and 3 NFL Draft picks.
Not everything will be as easy to predict and that will be impacted by the first-round betting surprises when the NFL Draft gets underway on Thursday night in Detroit.
The order could change but there are probably 20-25 players who are locks to go in the first round. The last 5-10 picks could be a different story with the chance of some players expected to go in the first round falling out to the second round and others sneaking into the end of the opening round.
Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. of the Pittsburgh Steelers, tight end Sam LaPorta of the Detroit Lions, offensive lineman Steve Avila of the Los Angeles Rams, and quarterback Will Levis of the Tennessee Titans are among the players who fell out of the first round who played like first-round picks in 2023.
Here’s a look at five players to keep an eye on with some NFL betting odds to consider.
Kingsley Suamataia, Brigham Young OT
The 21-year-old Suamataia started his career at Oregon after being the top-rated offensive tackler in his recruiting class.
He didn’t stay in Eugene for very long, transferring to BYU after playing in one game for the Ducks.
The 6-foot-6, 325-pound Suamataia is just 21 and could be a player targeted by NFL teams looking to upgrade at the offensive line position.
Suamataia has +140 odds to land in the first round and that is looking like a pretty good option when looking at potential NFL Draft first-round betting surprises.
Bo Nix, Oregon Quarterback
Perhaps a team that can’t get into the top five and still wants an upgrade at quarterback will look at Nix. The problem is that unless the Minnesota Vikings don’t land a quarterback with its first pick, which team at the bottom of the first round will take a quarterback?
Maybe the Detroit Lions at No. 29 will consider going down that path or if New England trades out of the No. 3 pick, the Patriots could trade into the end of the first round.
It is hard to find fault with Nix’s numbers at Oregon in 2023 as he completed 77.4% of his passes for 4508 yards with 45 touchdowns and three interceptions.
The Denver Broncos are a strong possibility at -175 to draft Nix even though they just traded for former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson. Denver moved on from Russell Wilson so adding a quarterback in the first round makes a ton of sense.
The Minnesota Vikings (+400), Las Vegas Raiders (+500), and New York Giants (+700) are other strong candidates.
Nix comes in at +160 to go in the first round and he is a player to keep an eye on when it comes to the first-round betting surprises.
Ja’Lynn Polk, Washington Receiver
Polk was overshadowed at Washington by Rome Odunze, who is expected to be a top-10 pick.
There are plenty of receivers that could go in the first round and if some go earlier than expected, perhaps a team will look to get in on the act and take Polk.
The tape from the College Football Playoff semifinal win over Texas when Polk had 122 yards on five catches will certainly help his cause.
When looking at the sports betting odds, Polk has been trending in the right direction. The +300 odds for Polk to go in the first round are tempting.
Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M Linebacker
It was another underwhelming season at Texas A&M but it is hard to blame Cooper after he led the Aggies with 84 tackles despite missing the bowl game against Oklahoma State.
He matched his season-high with 11 tackles against Alabama and also had three sacks in that game. It will be hard not to be impressed by what he did in that game.
He has the size to step in as a linebacker in the NFL and has shown the ability to make plays in pass coverage and also rush the quarterback.
Linebackers often fall a bit in the first round so tread carefully when looking at the +230 odds for Cooper to go in the first round.
Keon Coleman, Florida State Receiver
Pretty much everything written about Polk goes for Coleman as well.
The 6-foot-4 Coleman hurt his stock by running a time of 4.61 in the 40-yard dash but he looks faster than that when going up against NFL-caliber defensive backs.
Coleman opened the 2023 season with 122 yards on nine catches against LSU and he could be a steal late in the first round or early in the second round.
He has +400 odds to be taken in the first round. If San Francisco trades away Brandon Aiyuk or the Kansas City Chiefs are concerned about the potential punishment coming for Rashee Rice, maybe Coleman could be taken by one of the teams that played in the most recent Super Bowl.
For gambling news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
