2022 NFL Draft Prop Bets: An Early Look at Odds & Picks

Couldn’t get enough wall-to-wall NFL draft coverage this year? Sad the 2021 draft is over? We have good news: NFL draft betting props are now live at multiple sportsbooks for next year’s draft.

The 2021 NFL Draft saw five quarterbacks taken in the first 15 selections, and 2022 could play out in similar fashion. Quarterbacks are expected to make up a number of the first several selections as six of the seven players on the BetOnline board to be drafted No. 1 overall are quarterbacks. That list is headlined by Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler, whom several books have projected as the first overall pick and Heisman Trophy winner.

Looking for more information on the numerous ways to bet on the NFL draft? Check out our How to Bet on the NFL Draft article.

2022 NFL Draft Betting: First Overall Pick

Odds as of May 26 at BetOnline

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Seen as a generational quarterback prospect by most analysts and draft gurus, Trevor Lawrence was viewed for years as the likely first overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft. Things will be a bit different this season as there is no clear-cut top guy and that is reflected in the NFL draft betting odds.

Rattler is the betting favorite for now, but the next two players are not far behind and we expect these odds to change considerably as the NFL draft process unfolds.

Quarterbacks Galore

Spencer Rattler

Betting on the NFL’s top pick to be an Oklahoma quarterback is never a bad bet. Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield both accomplished the feat in recent years and there is plenty of reason to think Rattler is the next in that line of greatness. Rattler’s combination of arm strength, accuracy, mobility and prolific passing stats have him rightfully at the top of the list of potential top picks, but there are several other quarterback prospects to watch out for this college football season.

Sam Howell

North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell (+450) is the second-most likely quarterback to go first overall in 2022 NFL Draft betting props and it is not hard to see why. Often drawing Baker Mayfield comparisons, Howell is shorter than the usual NFL quarterback “prototype” and is of a stockier build, but his ability to work in and outside the structure of an offense will appeal to many NFL coaches. He’s a player whose stock could rise quickly with a big year in the ACC.

Malik Willis

The third-most likely quarterback to be drafted first overall according to NFL draft betting props at BetOnline is Liberty’s Malik Willis at +750. While he appears to be not quite Lamar Jackson-fast, Willis is a dynamic athlete who routinely creates magic out of nothing and outruns defenders in the open field. He also has a cannon for an arm that is sure to make NFL scouts giddy.

NFL decision-makers will likely question his accuracy and the fact that his production has come at a smaller program after he transferred from Auburn, where he found himself on the outside looking in on the quarterback depth chart. But with dual-threat quarterbacks taking over the NFL, Willis’ skill set is sure to keep him in the mix for the top spot in NFL draft betting odds.

Kedon Slovis

USC quarterback Kedon Slovis (+1200) is more of a long shot for the first overall pick according to BetOnline NFL draft betting odds. While he is no statue, the six-foot-three Slovis is closer to the prototypical pocket passer quarterback than the previous three players. Get ready to check off “looks the part” on your NFL draft cliché bingo cards. We would not be surprised to see Slovis’ stock rise sharply throughout the process – it wouldn’t be the first time NFL scouts fell in love with a tall, strong-armed USC quarterback.

The Best of the Rest

Rounding out the quarterbacks vying for the first overall pick in BetOnline NFL draft betting props are Georgia’s J.T. Daniels (+1800), Texas Tech’s Tyler Shough (+1800) and Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder (+2000). Daniels is a former top recruit who started over Slovis at USC before tearing his ACL and transferring to Georgia. The six-foot-five Shough lost his job at Oregon and transferred after the 2020 season. And Ridder’s rare combination of size and speed is sure to tantalize scouts.

The Kayvon Conundrum

Most early NFL mock drafts give only one non-quarterback a realistic shot at being the first overall pick in the 2022 draft. BetOnline NFL draft betting props agree as Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux is the second-most likely player to be taken first overall at +275. Thibodeaux is as good as it gets as an edge prospect with elite size (6-5, 260), athleticism and production. Thibodeaux could be the next in a long line of highly drafted players born to hunt quarterbacks.

Best Bets

When it comes to 2022 NFL Draft betting props, we’re confident that a quarterback will be taken first overall. As good as Thibodeaux is, there is too much talent at quarterback this season to project any other position in the top spot.

BetOnline’s 2021 NFL win totals odds project the Houston Texans as easily the worst team in the league and most likely to pick first overall in 2022, and it is reasonable to expect them to take a quarterback with that pick as Deshaun Watson’s future with the team looks all but over.

But which quarterback might they take? While Rattler is the favorite, the odds are better to take one of Howell or Willis, who profile as the types of players who gain momentum through the process and get picked early. Either are great bets. For a longer shot, Cincinnati’s Ridder at +2000 has the rare combination of athletic gifts that could precipitate a meteoric rise on draft boards if he has a big year. Several early mocks have Ridder going at some point in the first.

Other NFL Draft Betting Props

If you’re looking for more NFL draft props outside of odds to go at No. 1, online sportsbook Bovada has you covered.

The shop has released odds on how many quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers will be taken in the first round.

How Many Quarterbacks Will Go in Round 1?

Odds as of May 26 at Bovada

The 2021 draft marked just the fourth time in NFL history that we saw five quarterbacks go in the first round, and there is little reason to believe the feat won’t happen again in 2022. In fact, there is a great chance that six QBs are selected in the first round, which would tie a record set in 1983 when John Elway, Dan Marino, Jim Kelly and three other QBs were selected. We like the OVER this early in the process.

How Many RBs & WRs Will Go in Round 1?

Odds as of May 26 at Bovada

Odds as of May 26 at Bovada

The NFL is drafting running backs later than it ever has with either zero, one or two backs going in the first round in eight of the last nine drafts. Most early mocks either don’t have a running back going in the first or have just one. Texas A&M running back Isaiah Spiller looks like an early favorite to be the first RB off the board, with Iowa State’s Breece Hall and Notre Dame’s Kyren Williams the other top contenders. There is no Saquon Barkley or Christian McCaffrey in this class, but it is fair to expect a running back to be taken at some point on Day 1. We are a little hesitant to predict any more than that, though.

As for wide receivers, the 2020 draft was a historic one for wideouts. Thirty-seven wide receivers were taken, with six going in the first round. In 2021, there were five taken in the first round – including three in the top 10 picks – and 2022 looks to be comparable with several high-end prospects at the position, including two from Ohio State alone and yet another from Alabama. Alabama has had two receivers go in the first round in each of the last two seasons. OVER 4.5 seems like a good bet once again.

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