Bryce Young dominated in his final college football game at Alabama, and the oddsmakers took notice.
The uber-talented quarterback prospect is now the odds-on favorite to be the first overall pick in the draft at -120 odds, according to DraftKings.
Prior to the bowl games, Young and Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud had identical +155 odds to be the top pick, with Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson also in the mix. The Houston Texans are currently in line to have the top pick and Bryce Young is now the favorite to be selected there.
It looks like a five-player race to be the top pick in the draft, with three quarterbacks and two defensive linemen making up the candidates.
- Bryce Young -120
- C.J. Stroud +200
- Will Anderson +700
- Jalen Carter +750
- Will Levis +1000
Young, listed at 6-foot and 194 pounds, is going to be dogged by size questions in the pre-draft process, and his arm strength may not match up with the other top quarterbacks, but his mental acuity, accuracy and play-making ability is expected to intrigue the Texans.
Houston traded quarterback Deshaun Watson this offseason and does not have a long-term candidate on the roster, so drafting a signal-caller with the top pick would be a no-brainer.
Young finished 15-of-21 for 321 yards and five touchdowns in Alabama’s bowl game victory over Kansas State on New Year’s Eve. Alabama has a truckload of prospects drafted every season but a Crimson Tide player has not gone No. 1 overall since quarterback/halfback Harry Gilmer in 1948.
Stroud also acquitted himself well in his bowl game, completing 23-of-34 passes for 348 yards and four touchdowns in the College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Georgia. Stroud is certainly still in the mix, but at this point the momentum is with Young to be the top pick, and bettors can make their choice leading up to the draft on April 27, 2023.
Anderson is seen as one of the better edge-rushing prospects in recent years, but it will be hard for him to be the top choice if Houston ends up at No. 1. However, if the Texans win in Week 18 against the Colts and the Bears lose to the Vikings, Chicago would then have the top pick.
The Bears don’t need a quarterback because Justin Fields looks like the real deal, which could put Anderson and Jalen Carter in the mix at No. 1 overall. However, there would likely be numerous offers to trade down, which would be enticing for Chicago as it could add extra draft compensation.
If the Bears do finish with the No. 1 pick after this weekend, that would certainly give a boost to the odds for Anderson and Carter, but it’s unlikely either would leapfrog Young unless Chicago decides to keep the first pick.
Levis, the strong-armed quarterback from Kentucky, is the other option to go No. 1, although he is generally seen as the third-best QB in the class behind Young and Stroud.
The Longshot Options
There are more than just those five listed as candidates to go No. 1, and we only need to look back at last year to realize a player can quickly zoom up the list.
Travon Walker was seen as a major underdog to be the top pick in the months before the 2022 draft but the Jaguars ended up taking him at No. 1 overall. Here are the other players who have odds listed to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft:
- Anthony Richardson +5000
- Peter Skoronski +6000
- Paris Johnson +7500
- Quentin Johnston +10000
- Bijan Robinson +10000
- Bryan Breese +10000
- Myles Murphy +10000
- Eli Ricks +15000
- Josh Downs +15000
- Nolan Smith +15000
- Spencer Rattler +15000
- Hendon Hooker +15000
- Jaren Hall +15000
- Jordan Addison +15000
- Joey Porter Jr. +15000
- Tyree Wilson +15000
- Kelee Ringo +15000
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba +15000
- Jaylin Hyatt +15000
- Michael Mayer +20000
- Justin Flowe +20000
- Isaiah Foskey +20000
- Jahmyr Gibbs +20000
- Christian Gonzalez +20000
- Jared Verse +20000
A longshot zooming up the charts is unlikelier this season because of the quarterbacks positioned at the top. Last year’s QB class was very weak, which led to a muddled picture, but it would be a big upset if Young or Stroud is not the top pick this season.
