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Dave Ventresca breaks down his best bets for the 2025 NFL Draft. He includes props and value picks for the 2025 NFL Draft. What has good odds of happening in the draft?
Don’t look now, but the 2025 NFL Draft is quickly approaching. We are only a few weeks away, but you can be sure that NFL teams are hard at work preparing for one of the offseason’s biggest events.
Believe it or not, many sportsbooks allow gamblers the opportunity to make wagers on the draft itself. For handicappers, the NFL Draft provides another opportunity to make some dough. If you are following teams’ needs and correctly reading the tea leaves, you can get a strong sense of what teams might do when draft night begins. That means if you know what you’re doing, you can gain a nice advantage over the sportsbooks.
Make sure you’re following RotoBaller on X, and check out RotoBaller.com for all your NFL and sports betting needs. Here are our early best bets and value picks for the 2025 NFL Draft.
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2025 NFL Draft Best Bets
Emeka Egbuka First Wide Receiver Selected (+1500) DraftKings Sportsbook
There’s been a lot of discourse over who is this year’s top wide receiver. Tetairoa McMillan was originally seen as the unanimous WR1. However, it was recently reported that teams are a bit split on McMillan, and some even have Egbuka ranked as the WR1 in this class.
This Will Howard-Emeka Egbuka touchdown 😮💨🎯 pic.twitter.com/tjSiaEiirw
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) November 23, 2024
We don’t know which teams have Egbuka ranked as the top receiver, but from all accounts, it sounds like he’s closer to McMillan than originally thought. These are great odds to take a shot on Egbuka coming off the board first as there doesn’t seem to be any clear consensus among the wide receiver class this year.
Miami Dolphins Position of First Player Drafted - Offensive Lineman (-110)
The Dolphins have to address the offensive line in this draft. Miami only ranked 27th in PFF’s run-blocking grade in 2024, and its running game suffered because of it. It did sign free-agent guard James Daniels to a three-year, $24 million deal in an attempt to bolster the line, but more work is needed.
Miami’s offense was not quite as explosive in 2024 compared to previous years. Some of that was obviously due to quarterback Tua Tagovailoa missing time with another concussion. But part of the issue was that the running game was so inefficient.
A strong running game has been a crucial component of Mike McDaniel’s offense. It stands to reason that Miami will look to address the offensive line in the draft.
Cincinnati Bengals Position of First Player Drafted - Defensive Line/Edge (-110)
This pick is pretty straightforward. Cincinnati has to fix the defense. End of story. The only reason the Bengals missed the playoffs last year was that their defense was awful.
Cincinnati recently re-signed star receivers Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase to huge contract extensions. It is now supposedly trying to re-sign pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson, but he could still be traded if a deal isn’t reached. That would open up the possibility for Cincinnati to select a pass-rusher in Round 1. Even if they don’t trade Hendrickson, the Bengals could still look to improve their pass rush.
Either way, it seems pretty obvious what side of the ball Cincinnati will address with this pick. The Bengals to take a cornerback (+300) or safety (+750) are also good picks worth a little sprinkle.
Pittsburgh Steelers Position of First Player Drafted - Running Back (+1100)
Pittsburgh opted not to re-sign running back Najee Harris and allowed him to sign a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers. It did place a second-round tender on restricted free agent back Jaylen Warren and signed Kenneth Gainwell to a one-year deal. However, neither of these players profile as a lead back.
It’s possible Pittsburgh uses the 21st pick to address the offensive line. But we know the Steelers are not averse to spending a first-round pick on a running back, as evidenced by the Najee Harris selection in the 2021 NFL Draft.
This is a very good running back class, and it’s been speculated that there could be as many as three backs going on Day 1. Depending on how the board falls, Pittsburgh could be in a position to land Omarion Hampton or TreVeyon Henderson with the 21st overall pick.
At 11-1 odds, this feels like a long-shot play that has a decent chance of hitting. It’s worth a flyer bet for a small sprinkle.
Indianapolis Colts Position of First Player Drafted - Tight End (+165)
The Colts brass has spoken at length about the need to find a difference-maker at tight end. General manager Chris Ballard has even specifically mentioned the importance of it to head coach Shane Steichen’s offense.
Several industry experts have also linked the Colts to a tight end at pick 14. Indianapolis is reportedly very high on Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, but it’s unclear if he’ll be available at 14th overall. If he’s not, the team could pivot to Michigan tight end Colston Loveland.
Everything points to Indianapolis wanting to upgrade the tight-end position in this draft. It has two great options waiting for it with the 14th pick. This feels like a good plus-money bet as long as the board breaks the right way.
Dallas Cowboys Position of First Player Drafted - Offensive Lineman (+230)
While everyone wants to mock a running back to Dallas at the 12th overall pick, the reality is that the Cowboys have much more pressing needs. Their offensive line took another hit when All-Pro guard Zack Martin announced his retirement this offseason. Dallas needs to start rebuilding its offensive line. It has a good opportunity to do so at 12th overall.
The team also recently signed free-agent running backs Miles Sanders and Javonte Williams. So, it feels unlikely that it would then use a first-round pick on a running back immediately after signing two veterans.
Look for the Cowboys to address the offensive line early, then take a rookie back later in the draft. This is a loaded running back class and there will be plenty of good options available on Day 2 and Day 3.
Ashton Jeanty to be Drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders (+140)
Jeanty to the Raiders has been picking up steam in recent weeks. It makes a lot of sense when you break it down. Head coach Pete Carroll loves to run the football, and a talented back like Jeanty seems like a dream pairing.
ASHTON JEANTY IS UNSTOPPABLE ⚡️@BroncoSportsFB scores a third TD before the half 😤 pic.twitter.com/2Xek565tR5
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 7, 2024
Chip Kelly is now the Raiders offensive coordinator, and he is known for building strong rushing attacks. Jeanty would be a good fit here. The question is whether or not Las Vegas would use a pick this high on a running back when it has other holes to address on this roster.
The Chicago Bears are the current betting favorites to land Jeanty at +130 odds. But the Raiders seem like a better bet right now, as there’s been more smoke about the team potentially taking him sixth overall.
However, if Las Vegas does pass on him, you can probably pencil Jeanty into the Bears at 10th overall. Still, this line is a good price, and it’s worth a wager, considering all the smoke surrounding Jeanty and Las Vegas.
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