When the New England Patriots step up to the podium — provided they keep the No. 3 pick — it will be anyone’s guess who will be the inaugural selection of the post-Bill Belichick era.
Possibilities range from quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye to stud receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., and there is even room for a surprise, although it seems unlikely New England will trade the selection.
LSU’s Daniels is +160 to be drafted No. 3, just ahead of North Carolina’s Maye (+175), according to Bet365 Sportsbook.
Harrison comes in at +225 as one of the highest-rated receivers in the NFL Draft since Ja’Marr Chase came out of LSU.
The fourth-best odds belong Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy (+650), who is getting some pre-draft buzz.
Former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh told the “Rich Eisen Show” that McCarthy could be the No. 1 quarterback off of the board, but the odds suggest he will probably be the fourth option.
Looking further down the odds board, Notre Dame left tackle Joe Alt is expected to be a cornerstone of an offensive line for a decade or more. He is 20/1 to go No. 3 in April’s draft.
Colin Cowherd, host of FOX Sports’ “The Herd,” said there was a rumor that the Patriots could opt to trade the No. 3 pick to the Vikings in exchange for Justin Jefferson.
That claim has been mostly rebuffed by pundits, who have stated that they could just draft Harrison on a rookie contract instead of trading for Jefferson, who is due an extension this offseason.
Maye is a slight favorite to go No. 2 overall at -140 odds, with Daniels the only real contender at +130. The Washington Commanders are overwhelmingly expected to draft a quarterback with that pick.
Should Maye indeed go No. 2, the Patriots would have the opportunity to grab the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, marking just the fourth time in history that three quarterbacks were selected to start the draft.
The 2021 NFL Draft began with three QB’s in Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Trey Lance.
Mac Jones was expected to go No. 3 in the draft before Lance’s odds skyrocketed the day of the draft.
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As always, be aware of these information-based markets‘ line movement as edges can evaporate with each bit of information being released.
Even Reddit can move lines, as we saw last season with Will Levis’ odds being steamed.