NFL Top Pick: Buffalo Bills – Position of 1st Drafted Player in 2024 NFL Draft – Wide Receiver (-280) at Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)
With the 2024 NFL draft this Thursday, everyone is scrambling to fit the right player with a team in the crucial 1st round. Some teams seem to have left a void in their roster that makes it easier to predict the most likely position they will draft in the opening round.
But teams do not always draft for need. Many will draft the best player available as long as that player still theoretically fills a need. It’s a complicated process, but that’s why the NFL draft is such an imperfect science every year.
At a top-rated sportsbook like Bovada, they have team markets where you can bet on the position the team will use their 1st draft pick on this year. Some teams have betting odds in the range of -200 or better, implying a strong likelihood it will happen.
We look at 5 of the best bets for matching these positions to a team in the 2024 NFL draft.
Buffalo Bills – Wide Receiver
These are the top 3 positions with the highest odds (via Bovada) for the Bills to use their 1st pick on in the draft:
- Wide receiver (-280)
- Defensive line/Edge (+425)
- Offensive lineman (+575)
There is no way the Bills are going into the 2024 season with Josh Allen having Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel, Justin Shorter, and Mack Hollins as his wide receivers. That may not guarantee a 1st-round pick is used on the position in a deep wide receiver draft, but they need to increase their odds of hitting a true No. 1 receiver type after trading Stefon Diggs to Houston and losing Gabe Davis to the Jaguars.
The Bills hold the No. 28 pick, and that would be great value for LSU wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., considered by many experts to be the best prospect in this class after the big 3 of Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze.
Buffalo may not want to wait that long to get him and could even trade up as this team still has a solid roster without a ton of holes, and you should always be in an aggressive, win-now mode when you have a quarterback the caliber of Allen.
If it’s not Thomas for Buffalo, then maybe one of the Texas wide receivers (Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Worthy) or Ladd McConkey (Georgia) is the pick. But the late trade of Diggs makes it much more likely the Bills go for a wideout above all other positions.
NFL Pick: Buffalo Bills – Position of 1st Drafted Player in 2024 NFL Draft – Wide Receiver (-280) at Bovada
Green Bay Packers – Offensive Line
These are the top 3 positions with the highest odds (via Bovada) for the Packers to use their 1st pick on in the draft:
- Offensive lineman (-185)
- Cornerback (+230)
- Defensive line/Edge (+500)
The Packers had such a young offense last season that it made perfect sense why the team needed a couple of months to get into winning form. Once Jordan Love started clicking at quarterback, everything came along with the rest of the offense, which featured many players from the team’s 2022 and 2023 draft classes.
But while the skill players are coming along nicely for the Packers, the offensive line lost a couple of veterans in left tackle David Bakhtiari and guard Jon Runyan Jr. Granted, the Packers have learned to play without Bakhtiari after a series of injuries in recent years, but they could still stand to upgrade at that position.
The Packers hold the No. 25 pick in this draft, which could put them in a ripe position for some of the offensive line prospects such as Amarius Mims (Georgia), Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma), Graham Barton (Duke), and Jackson Powers-Johnson (Oregon).
Cornerback has the 2nd-best odds for Green Bay, and many have mocked Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean to the Packers at No. 25. But DeJean may already be gone by then, and the Packers still have some former 1st-round picks at corner like Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes. They also paid good money for Giants safety Xavier McKinney, so you could say the secondary has already been improved by Green Bay.
Build in the trenches next, so the offensive line is the right area to target for Green Bay in the draft range the team has this year.
NFL Pick: Green Bay Packers – Position of 1st Drafted Player in 2024 NFL Draft – Offensive Lineman (-185) at Bovada
Jacksonville Jaguars – Cornerback
These are the top 3 positions with the highest odds (via Bovada) for the Jaguars to use their 1st pick on in the draft:
- Cornerback (-195)
- Wide receiver (+215)
- Offensive lineman (+500)
The Jaguars can probably go a few ways this draft after a disappointing finish to 2023 that saw them miss the playoffs. They may be feeling a little buyer’s remorse with wide receivers after not getting quite what they needed from the Calvin Ridley trade. They added Gabe Davis from Buffalo, so he can help that unit out as we know Trevor Lawrence has his best chemistry with Christian Kirk anyway.
When you start looking at the corner depth chart in Jacksonville, it’s not pretty. They brought in Ronald Darby, a veteran who could start, but he’ll be 30 years old this season.
Tyson Campbell, a 2021 2nd-round pick, did not have a good season and is expendable. With the 17th pick in the draft, the Jaguars could have their choice of corners with Quinyon Mitchell (Toledo), Terrion Arnold (Alabama), Cooper DeJean (Iowa), and Nate Wiggins (Clemson) available. They have been going for Clemson players lately with Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne.
Mitchell will likely be gone by No. 17, but the Jaguars could have the choice of the 2nd-best corner on their big board this year. After spending big money to keep Josh Allen for the pass rush, the Jaguars need some help in the back end and that 17th pick is a good spot to take a corner who could quickly become a starter for the next 5 years or more.
They still haven’t properly replaced Jalen Ramsey from years ago.
NFL Pick: Jacksonville Jaguars – Position of 1st Drafted Player in 2024 NFL Draft – Cornerback (-195) at Bovada
Pittsburgh Steelers – Offensive Line
These are the top 3 positions with the highest odds (via Bovada) for the Steelers to use their 1st pick on in the draft:
- Offensive line (-375)
- Wide receiver (+400)
- Cornerback (+550)
It might be wrong to say the Steelers are predictable in this business since Omar Khan replaced Kevin Colbert as the general manager. That might be why they did the aggressive moves to get rid of the quarterback room and pull the plug on Kenny Pickett after 2 years in favor of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
At the very least, we know the Steelers won’t be reaching for a quarterback at No. 20 again. They also won’t be taking an off-ball linebacker after paying more than they usually do in free agency for Roquan Smith from Baltimore.
As for wide receiver, the Steelers traded Diontae Johnson to Carolina and are thin at that position. But it’s a great draft for wideouts, and they should trust their drafting ability to find a legit receiver on Day 2.
You can never run out of good corners, but the Steelers feel like they got a 1st-round talent at the top of the 2nd round when they drafted Joey Porter Jr. last year. They may not be interested in going back to that position so highly so soon in the draft, but Cooper DeJean might be their kind of player at corner and a great punt returner to boot.
But the offensive line has by far the best odds for Pittsburgh, and in fact it is one of the strongest odds of any team for a position with their 1st pick at -375 at Bovada. The Steelers used a 1st-round pick last year on Georgia tackle Broderick Jones. They also took Georgia tight end Darnell Washington.
Could it be another Georgia tackle in Amarius Mims this year? That’s been the popular player in mock drafts for Pittsburgh, replacing Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson. The Steelers could also be interested in Graham Barton from Duke.
Another Georgia tackle or another 1st-round center feels very Pittsburgh this year. So, watch the “New Steelers” trade down and take speedy Texas wideout Xavier Worthy. But in all seriousness, the odds on this should be high because it should happen.
NFL Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers – Position of 1st Drafted Player in 2024 NFL Draft – Offensive Lineman (-375) at Bovada
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Defensive Line/Edge
These are the top 3 positions with the highest odds (via Bovada) for the Buccaneers to use their 1st pick on in the draft:
- Defensive line/Edge (+140)
- Offensive lineman (+195)
- Cornerback (+225)
Not sure if the Buccaneers should be commended or condemned after their offseason plan to bring most of the team back for 2024. While this team won another division title, it took a low-scoring win in Week 18 against lowly Carolina to claim the worst division in the league again.
But they brought back Baker Mayfield and Mike Evans as their top passing connection. The only new offensive starter figures to be left guard Sua Opeta from the Eagles.
On defense, the Buccaneers placed the franchise tag on safety Antoine Winfield Jr. They brought Jordan Whitehead back after he was briefly with the Jets. They made sure Lavonte David was not going to play for another team. Again, they kept basically everyone around on this side of the ball.
But one notable departure was at edge rusher as Shaquil Barrett went to the Dolphins. He was a key pass rusher for the Super Bowl team in 2020, but he’ll be 32 this season and is on the decline.
Todd Bowles loves to blitz, but he was not getting much edge pressure last year as much of the team’s pressure came from the interior line with Vita Vea and also from Winfield Jr. at defensive back.
By upgrading an edge rusher, the Buccaneers can use their No. 26 pick on a premium position that is also a need. Will there be one available? It is quite possible Chop Robinson from Penn State, a poor man’s Micah Parsons, will be there for the pick that makes the most sense for Tampa.
NFL Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Position of 1st Drafted Player in 2024 NFL Draft – Defensive Line/Edge (+140) at Bovada
*The line and/or odds in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
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