2025 NFL Draft: Shocking Favorites and Underdogs According to Betting Odds

Ah, here we go folks, it’s that time again when the football world turns its longing eyes towards the annual spectacle of the NFL Draft! This year, the sacred ground of Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, opens up for the 2025 NFL Draft on April 24th. Can we please, by all means, go back to a two-day extravaganza? But, let’s be real, football fans are like parched savannahs in the dry season, so withered with anticipation that they’ll sit through all seven, yes seven, rounds!

As if that wasn’t tantalizing enough, the sports betting realm has clutched the Draft to its lucrative heart. Since legal betting’s taken over the U.S., and with the NFL cozying up to sportsbooks, one would think insider info would leak like a sieve. But, oh no, this rodeo’s become tougher to predict than who the Giants will draft before noon on draft day! Betting on the draft is like trying to spot the one antelope that won’t get caught in the herd. Can we still try, though? Of course, because when has uncertainty ever stopped a true sports aficionado?

And, if you’re playing Fortnite with Cameron Ward, you might just feel like you’ve hit the jackpot with insider knowledge. Tennessee Titans seem to be the team marking tick marks next to Ward’s name come Thursday!

However, as a New York Giants fanatic, let me tell ya, I’ve had my eyes on Ward like a hawk on an unwary mouse. His arm talent, athletic prowess, and this less-than-exciting quarterback bunch made him my No. 1 pick months ago. It’s a shame he’s Tennessee-bound instead of gracing my Giants!

The real head-scratcher is whether the versatile Travis Hunter is worth the first pick, especially if he can juggle 70% of the snaps on offense and defense. That kind of skillset hasn’t been seen since Deion Sanders, yet here we are, in 2025, still bamboozled!

Glad we got an inside scoop from DraftKings odds, but remember, these are in a flux as pervasive as my own Giants’ draft hopes!

LEARN MORE

Football teases its return this week with the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, beginning with the first round on Thursday, April 24, at 8 p.m. ET. Then Rounds 2-3 air Friday at 6 p.m. ET, concluding with Rounds 4-7 Saturday at noon ET. The NFL should return to the two-day draft format, but people are so football-starved that they watch all three rounds. 

In a somewhat recent development (est. 2018-ish), the NFL Draft has become a popular sports betting event. However, since the legalization of betting in the U.S. and the NFL embracing and partnering with sportsbooks, less information is leaking. This makes profiting from betting the draft tougher. We can still try, though, am I right? 

If you play Fortnite with Miami QB Cameron Ward, you already know the Tennessee Titans are taking him first Thursday. For what it’s worth, how the draft plays out after Ward is a toss-up. The sports betting market, which has a much sharper opinion, thinks otherwise. Keep reading for DraftKings’ odds for the top-10 picks in this week’s draft. 

These odds are courtesy of DraftKings as of noon ET Monday, April 21. 

As a New York Giants fan in desperate need of a quarterback, Ward has been on my radar for a couple of years. Before any mock draft came out, Ward was my guess to be picked to go first in the 2025 NFL Draft. Between his athleticism, arm talent, college experience, and this weak quarterback class, Ward was always going No. 1 overall. Unfortunately for me, it’s to Tennessee.

If Hunter can play 70% of the snaps on both sides of the ball, he should probably go first. We’ve never truly seen that in the NFL. His college coach, Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, was a shut-down cornerback, one of the greatest return specialists in league history, and ran some gadget plays on offense. But Coach Prime was mostly a defensive back when he played.  

Since wide receiver is the second-highest paid position in football, I’m assuming Hunter plays offense full-time, even though smarter football minds than myself think he can do both. Regardless, Hunter is a good enough receiver to go second in this draft, lacking quarterback talent and, if he plays defense 25% of the snaps, he should be picked second Thursday. 

The Giants signing QBs Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston this offseason means they don’t need to take a quarterback No. 3. Plus, adding Carter to a defensive line with All-Pro DT Dexter Lawrence and edge Brian Burns could give NYG a top-five pass rush, which is good enough to have a winning record in any era. 

Also, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 and Philadelphia Eagles in February won Super Bowls like New York did vs. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in 2008: Pressuring Patrick Mahomes without blitzing. If Carter is a difference-maker and Wilson or Winston play at a league-average level, Giants GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll could save their jobs. 

This is where my draft analysis tails off. Look, I watch a lot of NFL and college football, but I won’t pretend to know about offensive line prospects. Go to FOX Sports’, and former NFL offensive lineman, Geoff Schwartz, if you want that kind of analysis. I can tell you this pick makes sense because New England drafted a franchise quarterback (Drake Maye) last year and have a terrible offensive line. That’s all I got, though. 

The Jaguars have two elite pass rushers in Josh Hines-Allen and the first pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Travon Walker. That said, selecting an interior pass rusher and run-stopper could take Jacksonville’s defensive front to the next level. 

Running backs are back after Eagles RB Saquon Barkley’s legendary season en route to a Super Bowl, and Jeanty is supposed to be a can’t-miss pick. He was the runner-up for the 2024 Heisman while rushing for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns at Boise State. This might be a “luxury pick,” or he could be Las Vegas head coach Pete Carroll’s next “Marshawn Lynch”. 

What I wrote about Campbell above obviously applies here. After the Aaron Rodgers disaster, the Jets could use a franchise quarterback. They took a flier on QB Justin Fields this offseason, who has all the physical tools, or as a placeholder until something better comes along. Nevertheless, NYJ has a lot of talent on both sides of the ball, so why not invest in the trenches? 

Carolina had the worst defense in the NFL last season by EPA/play. Besides CB Jaycee Horn, there isn’t a single Panther starting defender who cannot be replaced. Year in, year out, the Georgia Bulldogs produce the best defensive prospects in the draft, and Walker led Georgia in tackles for a loss and was tied for its leader in sacks. 

Among all the top-10 projected draft picks, this one has the worst betting value. I’ve heard NFL draft analysts say the Saints prefer Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart and that Sanders could fall to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have the 21st pick. I’d be happy if the Giants traded for another first-round pick to draft Sanders, but I’m not convinced he’s selected ninth. 

This kid is an absolute monster and tight end is the weakest position in Chicago’s offense. Furthermore, the Bears hired former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson this offseason. Meaning, they may want to give Johnson and second-year QB Caleb Williams more weapons. If I’m a Bears fan, this is the guy I want most. My only concern with the +350 price-tag is a team might snag Warren beforehand. He is that good. 

_____________________________

Follow me on X (or Twitter, whatever) @Geoffery-Clark, and check out my OutKick Bets Podcast for more betting content and random rants.