Ladies and gentlemen, it’s NFL Draft week!
Yes, the most fun week of the football season is upon us. First-round festivities are coming on Thursday night before the remainder of the draft concludes on Friday and Saturday. It should be a wild 3 days – even if the top of the selection process is unlikely to feature any drama (Caleb Williams to the Chicago Bears seems like a lock).
Before the draft begins let’s take a look at the best bets to be made by player position.
Cooper DeJean Under 22.5 (-114)
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing
DeJean probably won’t be the first cornerback off the board in the 2024 NFL Draft, but there’s a good chance that he is gone by pick 23. The former Iowa standout is likely battling with Kool-Aid McKinstry and and Nate Wiggins to be the third at his position selected following Quinyon Mitchell and Terrion Arnold. Given the importance of CBs on NFL defense, it’s a good bet that at least 3 and probably more will go in the top 22.
DeJean’s accolades this past season included First-Team AP All-American, Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year, Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year and Jim Thorpe Award finalist (nation’s best DB). He has very good size for a cornerback to go along with elite athleticism. DeJean is quite simply the total package.
Amarius Mims Over 22.5 (-120)
Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing
Backing the over isn’t really a knock on Mims; it’s simply that a bunch of other positions are going to be stockpiling players in the early stages of this draft. We already know about the quarterbacks. It’s a good time to be needy at the wide receiver position in the NFL, too, because there are plenty of top prospects available at that position in this year’s NFL Draft. Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze and Brian Thomas Jr. Will be off the board sooner rather than later. As for Mims’ own position, there could be 4 offensive tackles in front of him. Joe Alt and Olu Fashanu have top-10 potential, Taliese Fugala is likely next and JC Latham may not be far behind.
Mims has a plenty of upside and could develop into a future Pro Bowler, but he is a project — and I’m not sure many NFL teams are in the business of selecting projects on the offensive line in the first round. The Cochran, Ga. native was a starter for only 1 of 3 seasons at Georgia and even in that year he started just 6 games due to an ankle injury that required tightrope surgery.
Brock Bowers Under 11.5 (-114)
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing
I think Bowers has a pretty good chance to go in the top 10 (+135 at FanDuel) and at a modest -114 there is good value on him to be off the board no later than #11. Yes, he is a tight end and the premium on that position is a bit watered down these days. That being said, Bowers might as well be a WR and there are 3 other guys at that position expected to be top-10 selections. So it’s not like a fourth pass-catcher can’t be selected in the top 10 or top 11.
Bowers is coming off a brilliant 3-year stint at Georgia. The Napa, Calif. native amassed 882 yards and 13 touchdowns as a freshman, 942 yards plus 7 scores as a sophomore and 714 yards to go along with 6 TDs as a junior — the latter despite missing multiple games because of an ankle injury. Bowers is a great route runner and he is especially incredible after the catch with the ball in his hands. This kind of playmaker isn’t your normal tight end. Give me the under — perhaps to the New York Jets at #10.