If you’re anything like me, you’ve been itching for betting opportunities since Super Bowl LIX concluded with the Philadelphia Eagles defeating the Kansas City Chiefs. I’ve already broken down Super Bowl LX odds and 2025 Season Win Totals for the upcoming season, and I’ll continue to add to my NFL Futures Best Bets throughout the off-season. The 2025 NFL Draft is quickly approaching on April 24-26, our one chance to bet on an actual NFL event before preseason action gets underway in August.
Unfortunately, my home state of Pennsylvania doesn’t allow betting on the NFL Draft since it’s not an actual sporting competition. Hopefully, you live in or near one of the states that are allowed to offer betting lines on this year’s draft or you have access to an off-shore betting account.
Since I don’t have access to draft lines in Pennsylvania, I’m using lines that are offered in New Jersey for this article. Make sure to shop around for the best lines and odds if possible. There’s a lot more volatility in odds between sportsbooks with an event like the NFL Draft than you’ll see on game lines or player props during the season.
I plan on updating my NFL Draft Prop articles and my NFL Draft Best Bets multiple times before the end of April so check back throughout the month.
We’re thrilled to offer rookie scouting reports from Brett Whitefield from our 2025 NFL Draft Prospect Guide. I’ve included a small piece of his analysis for each player listed below. Be sure to sign up for a FREE account to get Brett’s complete analysis of over 150+ players.
2024 NFL Draft Results
OVERALL — +6 units
NFL Draft Wide Receiver Props
Matthew Golden, Texas
Latest Mock Drafts
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network (March 18): 12th overall (Dallas Cowboys), WR1
Dane Brugler, The Athletic (March 18): 22nd overall (Los Angeles Chargers), WR2
Todd McShay, The McShay Report (March 20): 12th overall (Dallas Cowboys), WR1
Consensus Mock Drafts
NFL Mock Draft Database: 18th overall, Seattle Seahawks (16%)
Fantasy Points Prospect Guide Analysis
Golden is a smooth, yet explosive route runner with ideal big-play potential. I don’t see Golden being a huge target hog in the NFL, but he should thrive in a role as a Jameson Williams type who has big-play opportunities consistently manufactured and schemed for him. He has some work to do to improve his hands, but it is undeniable that he will be a math-changer in the NFL. From a play-style standpoint, I see Tyler Lockett. Officially, he scores as a top-5 wide receiver in the class and has an early 2nd-round grade from me.
Brolley’s Best Bet
First Wide Receiver Drafted (Not including Travis Hunter): Matthew Golden (+170, FanDuel) — Golden has been a riser in the pre-draft process after posting the fastest 40-time among all WRs at 4.29 seconds. His rise started at the end of last season when he played the best football of his three-year college career, posting 19/411/1 receiving during Texas’ four-game postseason run. Speed tends to rise up draft boards at the wide receiver position as we’ve seen in recent years. Xavier Worthy (2024), Jameson Williams (2022), and Henry Ruggs (2020) are among the WRs who moved up in the final months before the draft. The funny thing is NFL teams overrate athleticism at the position, but that discussion isn’t relevant for projecting which WR will be drafted first on April 24.
The Cowboys have been the most popular landing spot for the first WR to go off the board at 12th overall, and Dallas has been wildly unpredictable with their organizational decisions the last few years. Tetairoa McMillan has been the most popular choice for the Cowboys, but two leading draft analysts, Daniel Jeremiah and Todd McShay, mocked Golden to Dallas. It doesn’t hurt that Golden starred at Texas since Jerry Jones is crazy enough to use that as a potential tiebreaker. In fact, Golden even got his picture taken with Jones during his official visit on April 10. McMillan has a far superior production profile compared to Golden, but the race to be the first WR is closer to a 50-50 proposition — Golden has 37% implied odds (+170) to be the first WR selected.
Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
Latest Mock Drafts
- Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network (March 18): 22nd overall (Los Angeles Chargers), WR2
- Dane Brugler, The Athletic (March 18): 12th overall (Dallas Cowboys), WR1
- Todd McShay, The McShay Report (March 20): 27th overall (Baltimore Ravens), WR2
Consensus Mock Drafts
- NFL Mock Draft Database: 12th overall, Dallas Cowboys (29%)
- Grinding the Mocks Expected Draft Position: 12.8 (WR1)
Fantasy Points Prospect Guide Analysis
McMillan is the type of prospect you really have to nitpick to fill out the weakness section of his profile. He is the best WR in this draft class by a wide margin and is in the mix for the top-10 overall scores I have given to a WR in 11 years of grading prospects. In McMillan, NFL teams are getting a prototypical X WR with elite vertical ability, RAC ability, and separation ability. He scores as a top-10 player overall and should be drafted as such.
Draft Prop to Consider
Tetairoa McMillan Draft Position: Over 17.5 (+120, Bet365) — McMillan arrived at Arizona in 2022 as a five-star recruit and became a consensus All-American in his final season after posting back-to-back seasons with 1300+ receiving yards. He’s been the odds-on favorite to be the first WR selected since the prop initially opened this winter. Texas’ Matthew Golden has been gaining ground since he ran a 4.29-second 40-yard dash at the combine, while McMillan has also lost a little momentum in the pre-draft process.
An old video surfaced of McMillan saying he doesn’t watch football and doesn’t like watching film, which raised some red flags for teams potentially investing a first-round pick in him. Daniel Jeremiah wrote in his March 18 mock draft that he wouldn’t be shocked if McMillan goes in the top 8 picks or slides into the 20s on draft day. The top-end talent and the overall depth of this year’s WR class are lacking compared to recent WR classes, and I lean toward McMillan and the other top WRs sliding a bit on the first day of the draft.
Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
Latest Mock Drafts
- Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network (March 18): N/A
- Dane Brugler, The Athletic (March 18): 26th overall (Los Angeles Rams), WR3
- Todd McShay, The McShay Report (March 20): N/A
Consensus Mock Drafts
- NFL Mock Draft Database: 26th overall, Los Angeles Rams (13%)
- Grinding the Mocks Expected Draft Position: 27.1 (WR4)
Fantasy Points Prospect Guide Analysis
Egbuka is a high-floor prospect with a high football IQ, toughness, and yards-after-catch ability. His play style and likely NFL role remind me a lot of Rashee Rice, as a player who will primarily be featured against zone, as a RAC threat, and from the slot. It's not to say he can’t play out wide, but the payoff there is going to be limited in comparison to what you get out of him from the slot, especially while he develops his route running within an NFL route tree. Egbuka scores as a 2nd-round prospect for me.
Draft Prop to Consider
Total WRs Drafted in First Round: Under 2.5 (+210, Caesars) — Egbuka arrived at Ohio State as a five-star recruit in 2021 and left as a CFP National Champion. He finished as the school’s career receptions leader with 205 despite competing for targets with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Marvin Harrison Jr, and Jeremiah Smith during his four-year collegiate career. He’s now competing with Luther Burden to be the third receiver selected behind Tetairoa McMillan and Matthew Golden, but the question is will a third receiver be selected at the end of the first round.
Our Brett Whitefield described Egbuka as a high-floor prospect and most analysts believe he can step into the NFL as a #2 WR fairly quickly. It’s hard to see Egbuka completely falling on his face at the next level, but he isn’t viewed as having #1 WR potential, which doesn’t make him a slam dunk to go in the first round. Top draft analysts Daniel Jeremiah and Todd McShay mocked just Golden and McMillan in the first round of their latest mock drafts, which were posted in mid-March. The top-end talent and the overall depth of this year’s WRs are lacking compared to recent WR classes, and I lean toward Egbuka and Burden sliding to the early second round.
NFL Draft Tight End Props
Tyler Warren, Penn State
Latest Mock Drafts
- Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network (March 19): 14th overall (Indianapolis Colts), TE1
- Dane Brugler, The Athletic (March 18): Ninth overall (New Orleans Saints), TE1
- Todd McShay, The McShay Report (March 20): Ninth overall (New Orleans Saints), TE1
Consensus Mock Drafts
- NFL Mock Draft Database: 10th overall, Chicago Bears (13%)
- Grinding the Mocks Expected Draft Position: 11.8 (TE1)
Fantasy Points Prospect Guide Analysis
Warren is a dynamic two-way tight-end prospect who offers as much in the run game as in the passing game. He showed reliable hands as a senior, and an uncanny ability to dominate amid crowds. If there was a spectrum of play-style between Rob Gronkowski and George Kittle, Warren falls somewhere on that spectrum. Officially he scores as a top-12 player for me in the class and should come off the board in the first half of round 1.
Draft Prop to Consider
Tyler Warren Draft Position: Under 10.5 (-140, Bet365) — Warren arrived at Penn State in 2020 and played alongside Pat Freiermuth, Brenton Strange, and Theo Johnson, who were selected in three of the last four drafts. Warren is set to make it four PSU TEs selected in the last five drafts. He’s also going to be the highest-drafted TE out of that crew after claiming the John Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end last season. The Bears at 10th overall have been the most popular landing spot for Warren at 19% of the time, but Ashton Jeanty will likely need to be off the board in the first nine picks for that to happen. The Colts have been another popular destination at 14th if he gets past the Bears and the Jets at seventh.
Chicago attacked its O-line at the start of the new league, and it’s looking for at least one more weapon for Caleb Williams. Warren would also be a fun toy for Ben Johnson to use on offense after he lined up all over the field at Penn State, including at quarterback and in the backfield. I’d consider betting Jeanty under his draft position of 9.5 if I’m betting the under on Warren’s draft position at 10.5.
Colston Loveland, Michigan
Latest Mock Drafts
- Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network (March 18): 18th overall (Seattle Seahawks), TE2
- Dane Brugler, The Athletic (March 18): 14th overall (Indianapolis Colts), TE2
- Todd McShay, The McShay Report (March 20): 14th overall (Indianapolis Colts), TE2
Consensus Mock Drafts
- NFL Mock Draft Database: 14th overall, Indianapolis Colts (18%)
- Grinding the Mocks Expected Draft Position: 18.9 (TE2)
Fantasy Points Prospect Guide Analysis
Teams looking for the next Sam LaPorta should look no further. Loveland is a huge, uber-athletic, route-running phenom who can have a pass-game run through him. Loveland is a high-level separator and has excellent ball skills to pair. His hands are as reliable as they come, and he is very comfortable working in congested areas. He has a lot of work to do to maximize his impact as a three-down player, but he is just good enough in the run game to become a day 1 starter in the NFL. Officially he scores as a top-12 player in the class, and I view him as the best receiving tight end available.
Draft Prop to Consider
Colston Loveland - Draft Position: 19.5 (-150, Bet365) — Loveland helped the Wolverines to a CFP National Championship during the 2023 season before earning second-team All-American honors in his final season. Loveland has steadily been on the rise but is still the clear #2 option in betting markets behind Tyler Warren, who is considered the better all-around TE. Our Brett Whitefield believes Loveland will be one of the best route-running TEs as soon as he makes steps on an NFL field.
Daniel Jeremiah ranked Warren and Loveland sixth and seventh in his top 50 rankings from April 2, and there’s an outside chance two TEs could go off the board before a WR is even selected. The Colts at 14th overall is Colston’s most popular destination in mock drafts at 18%. Indy needs to give Anthony Richardson another weapon in the passing game before they potentially turn the page at quarterback. Seattle is another popular spot where former Michigan DC Mike Macdonald leads the team, and Loveland's expected draft position of 18.9 sits just under his draft position.
Mason Taylor, LSU
Latest Mock Drafts
- Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network (March 18): N/A
- Dane Brugler, The Athletic (March 18): N/A
- Todd McShay, The McShay Report (March 20): N/A
Consensus Mock Drafts
Fantasy Points Prospect Guide Analysis
Taylor hits the NFL coming from an elite bloodline, and I traditionally love betting on guys who were basically born and bred to play in the NFL. That said, his game speaks for itself and is worthy of the vote of confidence on merit alone. He brings size and athleticism to the table and can be a complete mismatch weapon in the passing game. He definitely needs some development as an inline blocker, but the sum of parts here is very good.
Brolley’s Best Bet
Position of first drafted player - Philadelphia Eagles: Tight End (+1200, BetMGM) — Taylor will follow his dad, Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, into the NFL after spending three years at LSU. He totaled just 129/1308/6 receiving over 38 games in three seasons, competing for targets with Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas. He could soon be competing with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith for targets from Jalen Hurts. The Eagles made Dallas Goedert their first selection in the 2018 draft at 49th overall, and they could select a TE with their first pick in 2025 if they’re able to move Goedert this off-season. It’s been no secret the Eagles would like to trade Goedert if they can find any suitors, and Philadelphia signed Harrison Bryant and Kylen Granson to beef up their TE room at the start of free agency.
Daniel Jeremiah suggested on his April 4 episode of Move the Sticks (12:00 mark) that a player like Taylor could be in play for the Eagles at the 32nd overall pick, especially if Goedert could be headed out of town this off-season. The Eagles notably conducted a formal interview with Taylor at the combine. Philadelphia could put the pick up for sale to one of the QB-needy teams and slide a few spots back to select Taylor. Miami’s Elijah Arroyo is also on the rise in the pre-draft process, and he’s another option in the late first round or early second round if Taylor is off the board.
Brolley’s Best Bets
First Wide Receiver Drafted (Not including Travis Hunter): Matthew Golden (+170, FanDuel). Risk 1 unit to win 1.7 units. Placed April 7.
Position of first drafted player - Philadelphia Eagles: Tight End (+1200, BetMGM). Risk .5 units to win 6 units. Placed April 7.
