NFL Draft Position Betting Odds: Alabama Pass Rusher Will Anderson Could Shake Up The First Round

Addison, Smith-Njigba Fighting It Out to Be First Wide Receiver Selected in 2023 NFL Draft

Pair of Talented Tight Ends Could be Gone in the First Half of the 2023 NFL Draft

One of the most compelling aspects of the annual NFL drafts is how teams come up with different grades for the top prospects. The NFL Draft position betting odds can always get a little interesting in the final few days before the selections begin.

It has resulted in nine players going in front of quarterback Patrick Mahomes in 2017, reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Sauce Gardner becoming the second cornerback selected in 2022.

The receivers didn’t start going in the 2022 draft until Southern California’s Drake London was picked eighth overall by the Atlanta Falcons. Former Ohio State teammates Garrett Wilson (New York Jets) and Chris Olave (New Orleans Saints) didn’t disappoint after being picked 10th and 11th. Both of them topped the 1,000-point mark.

There will be plenty of decisions for teams to make when the 2023 NFL Draft gets underway on Apr. 27 in Kansas City.

Here’s a look at some of the battles to keep an eye on.

Wide Receiver

USC’s Jordan Addison is showing up higher on some big boards posted by NFL insiders when it comes to the receivers. However, Ohio State’s Jaxson Smith-Njigba is priced at -550 to be selected before Addison as he could become the first receiver chosen according to the NFL Draft position betting odds.

Smith-Njigba was the leader in receptions and receiving yards in 2021 when the Ohio State team had Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, who both surpassed 1,000 yards as rookies 2022. However, injuries limited Smith-Njigba to 43 yards on five catches in three games during the 2022 season.

Addison had 875 yards on 59 catches with eight TD catches playing with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams after starting his career at Pittsburgh.

Quarterbacks

Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud put up impressive numbers and that will likely result in them being the first two quarterbacks and perhaps the first two players selected. Young checks in at -1600 to be the first overall pick when it comes to the NFL Draft position betting odds.

It is a different story for Kentucky’s Will Levis and Anthony Richardson of Florida.

Levis finished fifth and Richardson was 11th among SEC quarterbacks in passing efficiency in 2022. In conference play, they come in at No. 9 and 10. Yet, when looking at the players who could emerge as the NFL best players, Levis and Richardson are getting plenty of love.

Both look the part of NFL quarterbacks with their physical attributes making them top prospects.

Levis (-220) is favored to be taken before Richardson (+180).

Cornerbacks

Two cornerbacks were gone by the fourth pick in 2022. That isn’t going to happen this year. However, there are two cornerbacks who have distanced themselves from others in the position.

Oregon’s Christian Gonzalez (50 tackles, four interceptions, seven pass breakups) has the size teams are looking for and after not coming up with an interception in his first two seasons at Oregon, he showed off some of his ball skills.

Three of Devon Witherspoon’s five career interceptions came in 2022. While he is a couple of inches shorter than Gonzalez, Witherspoon has moved ahead of Gonzalez and could be the first cornerback picked. When looking at the NFL spreads, the odds are currently at -200 for Witherspoon to hear his name called before Gonzalez does.

NFL teams are hoping they can approach the level of play of Sauce Gardner, the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Tight Ends

This will be a fun process to watch.

Utah’s Dalton Kincaid made a huge jump from catching 36 passes in 2021 to hauling in 70 last season. He led all Football Bowl Subdivision tight ends in receptions. Next on that list was Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer.

Mayer was listed as an inch taller and 25 pounds heavier than Kincaid during the 2022 college football season, so perhaps that is why he is priced at -180 to be selected in front of Kincaid.

Mayer comes in at -160 to be the first tight end selected. Both players figure to make immediate impacts at the NFL level.

Offensive Line

Paris Johnson did not allow a sack in 2022 and he certainly looks the part of a pass-protecting offensive tackle he leads the way at -120 to be the first offensive lineman to be drafted later this month.

Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski is next at +120. There has been some chatter about the length of Skoronski’s arms impacting his draft status. Neither of them will need to wait very long to hear their names called.

Defensive Player

Alabama’s Will Anderson didn’t match his sensational numbers from 2021 when he led all Football Bowl Subdivision players with 17.5 sacks and 33.5 tackles for loss.

Still, NFL scouts see Anderson as a top-flight pass rusher at the next level.

He is priced at -200 to be the first defensive player selected. Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter was thought to be the best overall prospect in the draft at one point. However, his involvement in an automobile accident that claimed the life of a former teammate as well as a Georgia staff member, has changed that. He is behind Anderson and Texas Tech edge rusher Tyree Wilson (+200) in the odds to be the first defensive player selected.

Linebackers

This is not a great draft for linebackers.

Drew Sanders of Arkansas leads the way as he is currently at even odds to be the first linebacker (not including edge rushers) drafted.
Sanders had 103 tackles and 9.5 sacks at Arkansas after playing two seasons at Alabama.

Jack Campbell of Iowa (+110 to be the first linebacker picked) has 271 tackles over the last two seasons.

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