NFL Draft Preview

Ahead of last year’s NFL Draft, there wasn’t much mystery surrounding the first overall selection. Sure, that was some late noise in favor of C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson and even Will Levis, but Bryce Young was always a pretty safe bet (-1250) to end up in Carolina. A year later, there’s even less drama regarding whose name will be called first tonight 🔒

• Caleb Williams has looked like a virtual lock for the first pick in the 2024 Draft for quite some time. Way-too-early mocks had him slotted there even back before his Heisman-winning campaign in 2022 🔮

• The selection was then all but etched in stone when the Bears, who own the first pick courtesy of last year’s trade with the Panthers, traded Justin Fields to the Steelers back in March

• Just how sure are oddsmakers that Williams ends up a Bear? You could bet $1,000 on him going first…and you’d win a whopping $10 😂

But also like last year, there won’t be just one QB coming off the board early. Could we possibly see four straight signal-callers taken to start the draft? 🤔

• The dual-threat Heisman winner out of LSU, Jayden Daniels, is currently the betting favorite (-600) to go second overall to the Commanders…and you know the Patriots will be eyeing a QB at 3 as well 👀

• If you ask me, it’s UNC’s Drake Maye who should be the second QB off the board. Oddsmakers like his chances of ending up in New England (-210), but don’t rule out Washington grabbing him first 🤷🏻‍♂️

Then there’s the biggest wild card of perhaps the entire first round; reigning National Champion J.J. McCarthy. The former Michigan Wolverine has picked up some serious helium over the past few weeks, so much so that he now has the second-best odds to go third (+150) and the best odds to go fifth (-240)

• With the Cardinals and Chargers picking fourth and fifth, J.J. going in the top-five likely requires a more QB-needy team to trade up. Could we see the Vikings, who own picks 11 and 23, take a big swing?

Factor in some increasing buzz around Heisman runner-up Michael Penix Jr., and it’s truly another first round that should be defined by the quarterback position. But then again, some other offensive playmakers would also like a word ⬇️

• What this draft lacks in star running back talent (it looks unlikely any will be taken in the first round), it makes up for with pass-catchers. Georgia’s Brock Bowers is an elite tight end prospect who should hear his name called in the first half of the round, but it’s the wide receiver class that really stands out

• If there wasn’t such a premium on the quarterback position, Marvin Harrison Jr. would have a pretty strong case for the first overall pick. As highly regarded as any rookie receiver in recent memory, he looks like an instant game-changer 😤

Harrison Jr. is the current favorite to end up in Arizona at 4 (-400), should the Cardinals keep their pick. But while he’ll likely be the first receiver off the board tonight, he certainly won’t be the last 🫡

• LSU’s Malik Nabers and Washington’s Rome Odunze are both trending towards the Top-10, and with eight wideouts checking in as top-40 prospects according to CBS Sports, don’t be surprised if the record of seven first-round receivers is flirted with

One team that is almost assured to take a wide receiver tonight is my Buffalo Bills, and while I’m cool staying put at 28, nothing would make me move on from Stefon Diggs quicker than a trade up for Odunze 🤞

Trivia Question: How many wide receivers went in the first round last year?

For My Parlay Gurus

Call it a hunch, but despite the odds, I think there’s a chance the Commanders make the right choice (however unlikely that sounds) and take Drake Maye. I’ll parlay that with the Cardinals staying put at four and taking Harrison Jr. — check it out 👇

• Drake Maye 2nd overall pick: +450

• Marvin Harrison Jr. 4th overall pick: -400

$100 on this bet would win you $588— if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win an Overtime hoodie*. Many will enter, only some will win 😉

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Trivia Answer: Four receivers were taken in a row with picks 20-23; Jaxon Smith-Njigba (SEA), Quentin Johnston (LAC), Zay Flowers (BAL) and Jordan Addison (MIN)

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