After a year where five quarterbacks were drafted by pick No. 15, fans can expect a shift in draft strategy due to an extremely underwhelming draft class.
NFL teams have already shown their hand, as just about every quarterback-needy team traded for a veteran, a developing trend that has not been common in previous years.
Not to mention, the previous two Super Bowl-winning teams put themselves in a position to win with a veteran quarterback they acquired in the previous offseason (Tom Brady with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency and Matt Stafford with the Los Angeles Rams via trade). This trend may have reduced the value teams place on drafting a rookie quarterback.
Regardless, the 2022 NFL Draft provides a quarterback class that is a slam dunk to bet against. The good news? You literally can bet against them.
Oddsmakers at DraftKings Sportsbooks have set an Over/Under at 2.5 for quarterbacks taken in the first round. The Over stands at -175 while the Under is +145. A $100 wager in favor of the Under would pay out $245.
As it stands now, the top quarterback selected in the draft is likely to be Liberty’s Malik Willis or Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett.
It would not be surprising to see only one quarterback taken in this year’s draft, though you shouldn’t count out these two both sneaking into the first round. Neither are projected to be top 15 picks by most analysts, and fewer are expecting any other quarterback in the first round.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah released a mock draft on Tuesday that had Pickett going No. 18 overall to the New Orleans Saints as the only quarterback selected on day 1.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper released a mock draft on Tuesday as well, also projecting Pickett will end up at No. 18 but had Malik Willis going to the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 20 and Matt Corral of Ole Miss squeezing into the first round at pick No. 32 to the Detriot Lions.
Still, the recent veteran quarterback carousel combined with the lackluster class will reshape NFL front office’s priorities. While we might see more draft-and-sit quarterbacks than in previous years, few will be heavily invested in.
Hammer the Under of 2.5 quarterbacks in the first round of the NFL Draft.
