This article is part of our NFL Picks series.
2025 NFL Draft Prop Bets
I'm happy to bring back the fifth rendition of this now yearly piece. The days of getting insane value on picks has gone to the wayside, but there's still plenty of opportunity to capitalize on with less than 48 hours before the draft.
The structure from last year's article will remain the same in terms of different category bets. DraftKings, for the most part, has the most diverse betting options available, but there are plenty of places to shop around for best odds. RotoWire has a nifty NFL Draft odds page with the best prices from the best online sportsbooks and sports betting apps to help you identify the best shops for your draft wagers.
I'll also be live on site at the NFL Draft in Green Bay and RotoWire will have wall-to-wall coverage of every fantasy-relevant angle throughout the draft, so if you're interested in this content, there's plenty more to come.
Dig into the NFL Draft betting odds for your favorite props at BetMGM. If you're not registered at BetMGM, use the BetMGM bonus code for a great welcome offer.
Draft Position
Matthew Golden under 17.5 (-165)
These have been historically my best "props" for the NFL Draft in recent years. Overall, I try to avoid overwhelming favorites because the juice just isn't worth the squeeze at a certain point, but this one feels like an exception. Golden feels all but destined to be a top-15 pick, either because a team like the Cardinals or Cowboys outright takes him at their respective draft spot or because someone trades up to nab the speedster.
There's been a ton of precedent for fast WRs going in the first round, whether it be Xavier Worthy, Jameson Williams, DeVonta Smith or Henry Ruggs. And in every one of those cases, the draft class was significantly deeper with eligible receiver prospects than this year. Someone is going to place a premium on adding the fastest wideout in this class, and they'll be happy to pay what could look like an exorbitant price to do it.
Mason Taylor to be a first-round pick (+115)
I really don't see what team ultimately takes the plunge, but Taylor is absolutely one of the highest risers in the draft process. That the Eagles, who pick at No. 32, have been reportedly linked to finding the heir replacement to Dallas Goedert feels like a parachute of sorts to making sure this bet hits, but I can't ignore how the LSU product was at one point in the +500 range in the first round and has slowly crept up to be nearly an odds-on favorite.
The son of Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, Mason feels like a throwback tight end in the vein of Kyle Rudolph or Greg Olsen, but with a modern athletic glow up to those veterans. Since 2000 there's only been two drafts where three first-round TEs have been selected, so this particular selection would be bucking a lot of conventional trends, but it's hard to ignore the near rabid praise of Taylor since the NFL Combine.
Emeka Egbuka over pick 29.5 (+200)
I think Egbuka is a fine enough player, but I don't really see what team is going to value him significantly more than the litany of other slot archetypes available in this class. The specific o/u is a curious one because the Commanders, who just traded for Deebo Samuel, but otherwise have a specific need to improve their wide receiver depth chart, pick 29.
The Bills, Chiefs and Eagles, who all pick after, don't have a significant need for Egbuka, meaning if you really think the Ohio State product should be a top-28 selection, it might be more prudent to just outright bet a specific team's first pick to be wide receiver. It's possible the Texans (No. 25), Rams (No. 26) and Ravens (No. 27) all could consider Egbuka at their pick, but each of these teams have significant and identifiable needs elsewhere and also made a significant commitment to improving the receiver room earlier this offseason.
Get into the NFL Draft props market at Caesars Sportsbook and give your bankroll a boost at signup with the Caesars Sportsbook promo code.
Exact Draft Order
Second cornerback drafted - Jahdae Barron (+100)
Will Johnson has widely been presumed to be the top cornerback drafted for months now, but multiple lower-body injuries since October have collectively cooled his prospect profile. That the Michigan product notably didn't run a 40-yard dash at his private workout, a necessity brought on by Johnson unable to participate in Michigan's Pro Day due to a lingering hamstring injury, feels like it could be the final straw on Barron overtaking him among secondary selections. This line has moved significantly in Barron's favor over recent weeks as Johnson was at one point a -350 favorite to be the second corner selected after dual-threat Travis Hunter.
No. 8 overall - Mykel Williams (+400)
I'm slightly hesitant on both of these picks in a vacuum, but I wanted to toy with the idea that largely no trades will be realized Thursday. 22 first-round pick trades have occurred on, or right before, draft night over the past three years, so history would say that's unlikely, but given the draft lacks significant top-end talent, there are fewer paths for teams to "go up and get their guy."
The Panthers are widely considered one of the most likely teams to trade out of the No. 8 pick largely because their needs don't coincide with a multitude of other teams who might be enamored with jumping up for skill position players like Ashton Jeanty, Tyler Warren or Tetairoa McMillan. It's increasingly likely two, if not all three players, could be gone by pick eight, leaving Carolina to select effectively their preferred edge rusher. Even if they do trade out of this pick, Williams appears to be one of the hot risers in terms of pass rushers, and I could easily see him still become a top-10 pick.
No. 4 overall pick - Jalon Walker (+1200)
This is a real longshot, and frankly one that I don't think makes sense in the way I'd build a team. But let's play this out. We know Mike Vrabel to be one of the best defensive coaches in the league. We also know that effective general manager Eliot Wolf comes from the Green Bay Packers front office lineage, which has put a significant emphasis on traits when it comes to pass rushers.
While New England's dire need to improve the offensive line is very real and evident, if the organization doesn't believe either Will Campbell or Armand Membou is a potential multi-time Pro Bowl lineman, conventional wisdom would dictate you bet on the pass-rushing traits above most other things. That it also affirms a commitment to Vrabel and makes the defensive genius happy is just an added bonus.
Team Position Draft
Broncos' first pick to be a RB (-150)
I want to be clear that typically this has been my weakest part of the NFL Draft betting process, but you'd be hard-pressed to poke holes through most of this. Much like the Matthew Golden bet above, there's been way too much smoke regarding the Broncos taking a first-round running back, whether it be Omarion Hampton or TreVeyon Henderson. There's the possibility this could be a landing spot for Mason Taylor in the likely event Colston Loveland is off the board, but upgrading the RB position is especially vital for a Sean Payton offense.
49ers first pick to be defensive line/edge (+125)
The 49ers are always so aggressive in the draft and they have an absolute abundance of compensatory picks over the next two years, but even if they do trade up out of No. 11, I'd be shocked if it's not for a pass rusher. No matter the situation, San Francisco seems like a safe bet to improve the pass-rushing depth on Day 1 to a near-certain degree.
Eagles' first pick to be a TE (+550)
I mentioned it earlier when discussing Mason Taylor as a first-round pick. Philadelphia has done such an excellent job of taking the best player available over the past four seasons that I'd be really surprised if this specific outcome were to occur, but if you're of the belief that the LSU TE will go in the first round, it's prudent to at least take a stab at some of the potential landing spots.
Chiefs' first pick to be a RB (+1100)
There's almost zero noise regarding this possibility and the board could easily break a certain way that at pick 31, Kansas City could have their choice of any number of offensive line improvements. But we know Andy Reid values a dynamic running back, and I assume this organization won't still be licking its wounds after the Clyde Edwards-Helaire debacle because they've just been so successful over recent years.
At this point I could be accused of being a plant on behalf of TreVeyon Henderson's marketing team, but his pass-blocking prowess is undeniable and while I think he could bring a Jahmyr Gibbs' level explosiveness to the offense, just settling for a better total version of CEH across the board feels like a significant way to improve both Isiah Pacheco and Patrick Mahomes.
