The NFL Draft is one of the most highly-anticipated nights of the year in the NFL, as teams can drastically alter their futures depending on who they select. This year, there are a ton of quarterbacks slated to go at the top of this class, though there are some interesting players from other positions who could make major impacts as well. Here, we make our NFL betting picks for the 2024 NFL Draft at some of the key inflection points in the first round.
Is NFL Draft Betting Legal?
Whether or not betting on the NFL Draft is legal depends on what state you are in. Many states do offer prop bets on the draft, while many others do not. Bettors should familiarize themselves with the rules where they are before attempting to place draft-related wagers. But the below sites should have action available for the draft if you are in a state with legal draft action.
#2 Overall Pick: Drake Maye (+350)
Going into the 2024 NFL Draft, the clear favorite to be selected with the second overall pick is Jayden Daniels out of LSU. Daniels is coming off of a season where he won the Heisman Trophy despite the fact that LSU was nowhere near the national title discussion in the late stages of the college football regular season. But we are going to go in a different direction with the second overall pick, as Drake Maye has a great shot to go to the Washington Commanders.
The second overall pick in this draft belongs to the Washington Commanders. And they have a couple of very different quarterbacks to choose from at second overall in this draft. While Daniels is a better athlete and is the more exciting player, the pocket-friendly nature of the NFL could suit Maye better. Which quarterback goes second in the draft will depend entirely on which style the team prefers to fill that spot.
Of course, the Commanders are no strangers to taking quarterbacks from North Carolina in their recent history, as they drafted Sam Howell as the future of their franchise before punting on that idea after this past season. While both Maye and Daniels have their share of flaws that make them anything but a slam dunk to be great as a pro, Maye’s game should translate to the pros the quickest, making him worth a shot at his current price.
Top-10 Pick: Brock Bowers (+110)
Second on our list of NFL Draft prop bets is for Brock Bowers to go in the top-10 of this year’s first round. Bowers has an undeniably bright future ahead of him at the tight end spot out of Georgia and there is one team in particular that could really use his services going into the 2024 season. That team is the New York Jets, which should pair wonderfully with Bowers to help both the rookie and the team have a strong upcoming season.
The 2024 season should be a year where Aaron Rodgers plays his first full season as the quarterback of the Jets. The problem for the Jets is that outside of running back Breece Hall and wide receiver Garrett Wilson, this Jets roster doesn’t have a lot of skill position talent for Rodgers to work with. That could change immediately if they take Bowers inside of the top-10 on Thursday night.
Of course, bettors should keep in mind that trades can happen in the NFL Draft and that the teams we expect to pick in certain slots are not guaranteed to actually pick there. As a result, bettors should wager conservatively on any draft props that they do take, including the ones we have recommended here.
