5 NFL Draft Betting Predictions

The 2017 NFL Draft begins on April 27 in Philadelphia. We will have bettors covered with several draft props – this year, incidentally, it’s also legal for the first time to bet on the draft in Nevada. Here are five NFL draft betting predictions that this writer feels confident about.

5 NFL Draft Betting Predictions

Myles Garrett Goes No. 1 To Browns

Garrett, the former defensive end from Texas A&M is the surest No. 1 overall pick since the Indianapolis Colts took Andrew Luck. Garrett is this class’ consensus No. 1 prospect. Virtually every mock draft has the Browns nabbing Garrett, and even the most skeptical observers couldn’t fault them for doing so. Garrett, a Texas A&M product, racked up 31 sacks over three seasons in the SEC and then had an excellent showing in the combine. No prospect is a lock, but Garrett profiles as a superstar edge rusher. The consensus Freshman All-American and second-team All-SEC pick had 11.5 sacks as a freshman in 2014 for the Aggies. Garrett then added finalist honors for the Lombardi and Hendricks Awards as the nation’s top defender as a sophomore with 19.5 tackles for loss and tying for second in the FBS with 12.5 sacks and five forced fumbles. While fighting a knee injury suffered early in 2016, Garrett was still named first-team All-American and All-SEC as a junior (15 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks) while playing in 11 games, starting just nine.

Mitch Trubisky Is First QB Off The Board

I don’t pretend to know where in the draft Mitch Trubisky will go, but I don’t see him getting past the No. 10 Buffalo Bills, who might have to trade up to get for the former North Carolina star. The one knock in Trubisky is he started just one year in college. The Bills recently held a private workout with him over the weekend, with both head coach Sean McDermott and owner Terry Pegula in attendance. Buffalo has Tyrod Taylor, but could cut him free with no financial penalty after the 2017 season. “You’ve got to try with him,” one scout said of Trubisky. “He’s the best of the bunch. You just wish he played more. He started one year, and the guy he played behind last year was terrible (Marquise Williams). It’s kind of a concern. As far as the physical gifts, he’s got everything you look for. And he’s got the poise. He works hard.”

49ers Pass On QB At No. 2

With Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley as the team’s top two QBs, the 49ers clearly need one for the future. But they know they will stink this year and will wait until 2018 to draft a QB in the first round. Look for San Francisco to take Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas at No. 2 overall. He’s a different player than the D-linemen the 49ers have taken in the first round the past two years (DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead) and has double-digit sack potential. Thomas kicked his game up a notch in 2016, receiving multiple All-American honors and winning the Morris Trophy as the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. Thomas led Stanford with 62 tackles, 15 for loss, while sacking the quarterback eight times. Thomas’ bowl performance against North Carolina opened a lot of eyes.

A Safety Will Go In Top 5

NFL teams just don’t draft safeties in the Top 5, but that will change this year with LSU’s Jamal Adams potentially going as high as No. 3 to Chicago. Checking in at 6-foot, 214 pounds with exceptional instincts, awareness and tackling skills, Adams is a new-school safety with a classic game that’s plucked straight from the 1980s like a Ronnie Lott. For clubs seeking a highly effective dual-purpose safety, he’s probably the best option in this draft. Adams is a ball magnet who will blow up screen passes, stonewall ball carriers at the line of scrimmage or break up or intercept a pass in coverage. Adams’ stock is rising after he recently ran a 4.38 40.

Richard Sherman Will Be Dealt At Draft

Yes, there will be trades of current NFL players at the draft and the top name likely to go is Seahawks Pro Bowl cornerback Richard Sherman, who has worn out his welcome in the Pacific Northwest. The Seahawks are asking a lot, however, supposedly a first-round pick and a player. Just prior to the 2013 NFL Draft, the Jets traded top cornerback Darrelle Revis to Tampa Bay in exchange for the No. 13 overall selection and a conditional 2014 fourth-round pick that would have escalated to a third-rounder had the cornerback remained on the roster by the third day of the 2014 league year. The New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders are two potential landing spots.