NFL Draft Betting: First WR Drafted Odds and Picks

Wide receiver in the NFL has always been a premier position and for the 2021 NFL Draft and betting on wide receiver odds, a wideout from the LSU Tigers is the overwhelming favorite to be the first WR off the board.

According to the best NFL betting sites and the latest first wide receiver drafted odds, LSU receiver Ja’Marr Chase is the -1000 favorite (90.9 percent implied probability) to have his name called first by commissioner Roger Goodell on April 29. The junior has been graded by NFL draft analysts as one of the best wide receivers to come out of school since Julio Jones.

Sportsbook

Betting on NFL draft wide receivers isn’t just limited to which player will be selected first. You can also wager on how many wideouts get taken in the first round, OVER/UNDERs on draft position and even which team will take a particular player.

Read our How To Bet on the NFL Draft guide if this is your first time betting on draft props so you can get up to speed like a wide receiver running a 4.3 on his pro day.

Which Wide Receiver Will Get Drafted First in 2021 NFL Draft?

Odds as of April 27 at Sportsbook

It doesn’t take a math genius to figure out which player will likely be taken first in first wide receiver drafted odds. LSU Tigers WR Ja’Marr Chase has all but locked up that slot after his pro day and interviews with teams. He obviously already had great game tape to show to potential teams after winning the NCAA national championship with LSU in 2019.

At this point for Chase, it’s not about if he’ll have his name called first but when. Chase has been linked to many teams throughout the NFL draft process, including the Cincinnati Bengals, who pick fifth and have the LSU wideout’s former quarterback, Joe Burrow, waiting to throw to him.

As impactful as Alabama wide receivers Jaylen Waddle (+675) and DeVonta Smith (+800) could be, both have question marks that would make teams pause. Chase, on the other hand, is a physical specimen and was graded in NFL draft wide receiver rankings as the top wideout available for the majority of the season. That’s why his O/U prop for draft position is currently set at 5.5 with the Bengals favored to take him at -160:

Odds as of April 27 at Sportsbook

Odds as of April 27 at Sportsbook

If you’re looking at betting on NFL draft wide receivers like Smith and Waddle, it may be best to look elsewhere to O/U props or specific team props for the best value.

How Many Wide Receivers Will Get Taken in Round 1 of the 2021 NFL Draft?

Odds as of April 27 at Sportsbook

I’m going to make this short and sweet. Only four wide receivers will get taken in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Why? Because there are already too many premier quarterbacks being taken in the top 10. In a year in which five QBs are going to be selected in the first round, likely within the top 10 picks, that means there are so many other positions of need that will get neglected in the Sportsbook round and teams will panic.

For example, in most mock NFL drafts, one or two defensive players are being pegged to be taken in the top 10 and that’s MLB Micah Parsons of Penn State and CB Patrick Surtain of Alabama. Football isn’t played just with quarterbacks and wide receivers and teams that are already stocked at those spots will take positional needs instead of the best player on the board.

As of April 27, three wide receivers are all but locks to be taken in the first round and that’s Ja’Marr Chase, Jaylen Waddle and DeVonta Smith. Rashod Bateman is likely going in the first as well but after that, the WR talent level drops off a cliff in NFL draft wide receiver rankings. Considering the OVER/UNDER, you’re essentially betting on whether Rondale Moore or Kadarius Toney get taken in the first round and at +225, I’ll bet they won’t.

DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle NFL Draft Props

It’s not a debate. Alabama’s DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle were the most talented and explosive wide receiver duo in college football last season. Both will likely be taken within the first 15 picks of the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. That’s why both of their draft lines are set at O/U 11.5 with Waddle at -140 to be taken within the first 11 picks and Smith at +110.

Smith has been a bit of a victim of the NFL draft process because while he was deserving of the Heisman Trophy as the best player in NCAA football, his size and weight have been looked at as a deterring factor for teams trying to pick a franchise WR. He may still get taken in the top 10 but with so many other positions of need and two wide receivers considered “better” than he is, Smith may see more interest from a team like the Eagles, who pick at 12th and have +450 odds to select him.

Odds as of April 27 at Sportsbook

Odds as of April 27 at Sportsbook

Odds as of April 27 at Sportsbook

Odds as of April 27 at Sportsbook