An Early Look at the betting markets for the 2024 NFL Draft
While the 2023 NFL season is yet to start, all 32 teams have already started to prepare their draft boards for the 2024 NFL Draft. Likewise, sportsbooks are doing the same, already taking wagers on who will be the first overall pick and the first player selected at a particular position.
Obviously, the order for the 2024 NFL Draft is yet to be determined. However, we do know that it will be held from April 25 to 27 at Campus Martius Park in downtown Detroit. We also have a good idea regarding who will be the top players available. Let’s take an early look at next year’s NFL Draft by sharing some of the top prospects for 2024.
Caleb Williams, Quarterback, USC
Williams is a heavy favorite to be the top overall pick in 2024. FanDuel lists him at -320 to be chosen first overall next year while DraftKings gives Williams -500 odds to be selected first. Obviously, the assumption is that the team that ends up with the first overall pick will need a quarterback or trade the pick to a team that needs a quarterback. During his first season at USC last year, Williams proved to be a true dual-threat quarterback. He threw 42 touchdown passes - compared to just five interceptions - while rushing for 10 touchdowns on his way to winning the Heisman. Barring a significant setback during the 2023 season, Williams will surely be the top quarterback prospect in 2024.
Drake Maye, Quarterback, North Carolina
If Williams falters for whatever reason, Maye is the top candidate to fill his place as the best quarterback available and the top overall pick. However, he’s currently something of a long shot. FanDuel and DraftKings list him at +430 and +550, respectively, to be the first pick in 2024. Maye followed in Sam Howell’s footsteps as the quarterback at North Carolina. In his first year as the starter, he threw for over 4,300 yards and 38 touchdowns while leading the Tar Heels to a 9-5 record. He finished 10th in the Heisman voting and should be a more serious contender for the award this year, which should solidify his spot as the second-best quarterback available.
Marvin Harrison Jr., Wide Receiver, Ohio State
Outside of the quarterback position, Harrison is the best player available in the 2024 class right now. Harrison is the son of a Pro Football Hall of Famer and also comes from a college program that has three wide receivers drafted in the first round of the last two drafts. Of course, Harrison still has long odds to be the top overall pick in 2024, getting +2000 at FanDuel and +1500 odds at DraftKings. However, Harrison might be the best wide receiver prospect in the last several years. He enjoyed a breakout season in 2022 with over 1,200 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns and could put up even better numbers this year.
Dallas Turner, Linebacker, Alabama
At the moment, Turner looks like he’ll be the first defensive player drafted in 2024. He figures to join a long line of Alabama players who have been drafted high and excelled in the NFL. Turner has already amassed 12.5 sacks during his first two seasons with the Crimson Tide. Now that Will Anderson is in the NFL, Turner will be Alabama’s top pass rusher this season, giving him a chance to assert himself as the most impactful defensive player in college football and a potential top-five pick.