There is no can’t-miss quarterback or generational prospect in this year’s NFL draft, which has led to plenty of debate about which player will go No. 1 overall.
The early leader in the clubhouse is Michigan edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who had a monster senior season for the Wolverines, finishing with 14 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles.
Hutchinson’s odds to be the No. 1 overall pick are currently listed at +165 at BetMGM, as of February 22. The Jacksonville Jaguars hold the top choice in the draft after finishing 3-14 last year.
With holes all across the roster, Jacksonville could go a number of different ways provided they don’t trade the pick, and that has been reflected in the odds. The player with the second-best odds to go No. 1 is Evan Neal. The offensive tackle from Alabama is right behind Hutchinson with +175 odds.
Im still torn between Evan Neal, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Aidan Hutchinson for the Jags at one. What are we thinking Duval? #Jaguars
— Clay Harbor (@clayharbs82) February 22, 2022
Oregon edge-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux was seen as the best non-quarterback prospect heading into the 2021 college season and was the favorite to be the top pick at times during the season. He currently holds the third-best odds to go No. 1 at +350.
The other main candidate to be chosen first in the draft is Ikem Ekwonu. The North Carolina State offensive tackle has +400 odds, so it’s certainly in the range of possibilities that he leapfrogs the other candidates to be the first pick.
If the Jaguars hold on to the first selection, a quarterback won’t be on the card, as they chose Trevor Lawrence to be their signal-caller with last year’s first pick.
A trade up by another team would need to happen in order for a quarterback to be chosen, although it seems unlikely because this year’s class has not received rave reviews and it takes extensive draft capital to move up to No. 1.
Malik Willis is the quarterback with the best odds to go No. 1 overall in the draft, although at longshot +3000 odds. Kenny Pickett has the next-best odds among quarterbacks at +4000, while Sam Howell and Matt Corral both come in at +6600.
Quarterbacks inevitably move up on boards as the draft gets closer because teams always look closely at the position and decide to overlook concerns. However, it would certainly be a major upset for a signal-caller to go No. 1 overall.
Is Malik Willis next up? 👀 pic.twitter.com/DgMtylhc1x
— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 21, 2022
The last time a non-quarterback went No. 1 overall in the NFL draft was in 2017, when Myles Garrett went to the Cleveland Browns. In 2018, Baker Mayfield went first to the Browns, followed by Kyler Murray to the Arizona Cardinals in 2019, Joe Burrow to the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020 and Lawrence to the Jaguars last year.
The NFL Scouting Combine will begin on March 1, and the on-field testing can often have a great effect on the stock of prospects. If one of the top players shows to be a freak athlete, or if someone tests worse than expected, it could lead to a shuffle in the odds.
Therefore, this can be a good time to bet on the No. 1 pick, because a certain player could emerge as the consensus favorite in the next few weeks.
