There’s no more valuable position in sports than quarterback in the NFL. Most analysts believe there are no surefire, can’t-miss quarterback prospects in this year’s NFL Draft.
That’s the quandary for the Tennessee Titans, who have the first pick of the NFL Draft and need a quarterback. The betting market still believes the Titans will take the leap on a quarterback.
Miami QB Cam Ward has been the favorite to go first overall for a while, and he has held that spot despite the Titans indicating they’re not locked in on taking a quarterback in the draft. Ward is a -150 favorite (bet $150 to win $100) to be the first overall pick at BetMGM.
That’s a pretty big lead, but draft betting markets have become notoriously fluid the past few years. With the league converging on Indianapolis this week for the annual NFL Scouting Combine, every bit of news and every quote from the Titans could affect the odds.
The Titans opened up the possibility of them passing on quarterback. Titans president of football operations Chad Brinker said earlier this offseason that the team “wouldn’t pass up on a generational talent.” That is a reason Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter is second in the odds at +150, a big change from his opening odds of +2200. Travis Hunter is next at +600, his Colorado teammate Shedeur Sanders is fourth at +800 and no other player is shorter than 66-to-1 odds.
The odds indicate there’s no real debate about the QB1 in the class. Ward has a big lead on Sanders. In the opening odds at BetMGM, Sanders was the favorite to go No. 1 overall at +300, but that shifted in January and Ward’s lead has only grown since then.
The week of the combine is a big one for teams, prospects and also for news leaking out about teams at the top of the draft order and what they might do in the first round. Anything could trigger a huge shift in the first pick betting odds. But going into the combine, Ward leads the field.
