It's April 16, meaning we are officially eight (8!) days away from the 2025 NFL Draft. For all my NFL draft bets, see our free Fantasy Life bet tracker, which I will update regularly.

In this article, which we will also update as the draft approaches, I will highlight the draft props I like the best, with my most recent bets being placed at the top of this article.

For all my mocks, check out my Fantasy Life author page as well as our Fantasy Life NFL Draft Hub. Also, every Saturday edition of the Fantasy Life Newsletter is now dedicated to the draft.

Over the past six years (since I started submitting mocks in competitions), I’m the No. 2 mocker for accuracy, and I'm a lifetime 484-424 (+102.6 units) betting on the draft. Subscribe to our free Betting Life Newsletter for regular guidance, best bets, and more.

Best Bets for the 2025 NFL Draft

Colston Loveland Over 18.5

• Date: Apr. 15
• Book: DraftKings
• Odds: +185

Tyler Warren (Penn State) is likely to go ahead of Loveland as the No. 1 TE in this class: He goes ahead of Loveland in literally every recent sharp mock I've seen.

But the earliest Warren is likely to go is No. 10 to the Bears. Maybe No. 7 to the Jets, but they have much bigger needs at OT and on defense.

So if Warren is off the board at No. 10, then Loveland will have a shot to go to the Colts or Seahawks at Nos. 14 & 18.

But if Warren goes at No. 14, then No. 18 feels like the absolute earliest Loveland could go—and the Seahawks have bigger needs than TE. Right now, they're -110 to go OL and +380 to go WR, but only +550 to TE with their first pick (DraftKings).

And then there's the Broncos at No. 20 and Chargers at No. 22. And the Chiefs and Eagles at Nos. 31-32. All of them are in play for Loveland.

So No. 18 feels like it's on the high end of Loveland's range of outcomes.

In the recent sharp mocks, Loveland goes over 18.5 a little over half the time (52%), and in truth, this one really does feel like a 50-50 prop.

But it's priced as if Loveland is highly likely to be off the board by No. 19, and I don't think that's right.

Emeka Egbuka Over 29.5

• Date: Apr. 15
• Book: DraftKings
• Odds: +120

As a point of context: Egbuka's draft position over/under is 28.5 at Caesars, where the over is -135 and the under is +105.

So at DraftKings, all I have to do is give up one spot in the draft in order to get an extra 55 cents of value on the prop.

And let's look at that pick: No. 29.

That belongs to the Commanders, who at DraftKings are +500 to go WR with their first pick … after DL (+165), OL (+350), and CB (+425).

OK, then. Yeah, since the Commanders aren't all that likely (based on the market) to take a WR at No. 29, I'll move from 28.5 to 29.5 so that I can have +120 odds.

I like Egbuka, but he's likely to play mainly in the slot in the NFL, and a team might not want to invest Round 1 capital into him because of that limitation.

He goes over 28.5 in 68% of recent sharp mocks, so I think there's significant value in this prop. 

Jaxson Dart Over 24.5

• Date: Apr. 15
• Book: DraftKings
• Odds: +125

Over the past half a month, Dart's draft stock has markedly dropped.

At the beginning of April, he was regularly mocked in Round 1.

Now, I see him in just over half (52%) of sharp mocks, and he goes over 24.5 in 68% of them.

The more I think about this class, the more I think we could have a real 2022 situation, where the NFL looks at this QB cohort and collectively says, “We don't want to invest premium draft capital into these guys.”

Dart feels like the epitome of this. He was more productive than his predecessor at Mississippi … but why won't the NFL view Dart as Matt Corral 2.0 (a QB who put up big numbers primarily because of the gimmicky offense he played in)?

Why should an NFL team take Dart in Round 1 when he might be available in Round 2?

Dart has been invited to attend the NFL draft in person, and that generally is a bullish indicator for a guy to go off the board on Day 1—but almost every year, there's a prospect who attends the draft in person and then isn't selected in the top 32.

That guy could easily be Dart this year.

Thor's Prospect Profile: Jaxson Dart

Steelers Select QB With First Pick

• Date: Apr. 1
• Book: MGM
• Odds: +450

Not to give too much away, but in my upcoming mock later this week I'll have QB Jaxson Dart (Mississippi) going to the Steelers at No. 21.

In almost half the mocks I've recently surveyed, the Steelers have selected a QB, and that makes sense given the current state of their QB room.

And even if they add QB Aaron Rodgers, they could still opt to draft a rookie as his eventual heir a la the 2020 Packers with Jordan Love.

Shedeur Sanders No. 2 QB

• Date: Apr. 1
• Book: DraftKings
• Odds: -550

There's nothing heroic about this bet—but in literally all the recent sharp mocks I've surveyed, Sanders has been ahead of QB Jaxson Dart (Mississippi), who's the one guy with a realistic chance of challenging him for the No. 2 QB spot behind Cam Ward (Miami).

Just because I haven't seen Dart go ahead of Sanders in any mock doesn't mean it can't happen. There's maybe a 10% chance it happens.

Even then, a 90% chance of Sanders being the No. 2 QB means that his fair odds would be -900.

Even at -550, I think this prop still carries value.

Under 3.5 Round 1 Big 12 Players

• Date: Apr. 1
• Book: DraftKings
• Odds: -800

If you don't like -550 odds, then the -800 attached with this bet is likely to make you mad—but hear me out.

Three players from the Big 12 all have good chances of going in the top 10.

• WR/CB Travis Hunter (Colorado)
• QB Shedeur Sanders (Colorado)
• WR Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona)

All of them are Round 1 locks.

But after them, who's the next Big 12 prospect with any sort of shot to go in Round 1? 

WR Jayden Higgins (Iowa State)? I've seen him go in just one recent mock, but I don't think that's realistic: He's not even on Daniel Jeremiah's most recent top-50 big board.

And after Higgins, who is there?

Maybe OTs Jonah Savaiinaea (Arizona) and Wyatt Milum (West Virginia) … but it has been over a month since we've seen either one of them included in any mock.

Honestly, there's a better chance that we see only two Big 12 players in Round 1 (with Sanders falling down the board) than that we see four.

Cowboys Select WR With First Pick

• Date: Apr. 1
• Book: MGM
• Odds: +210

In 72% of recent sharp mocks, the Cowboys go WR at No. 12 with either Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona) or Matthew Golden (Texas).

That makes sense. They have almost no pass-catching power after No. 1 WR CeeDee Lamb, and at No. 12 the Cowboys might be too far down the board to draft RB Ashton Jeanty (Boise State) but too high up the board for RB Omarion Hampton (North Carolina).

I lean toward McMillan over Golden, but either one would be a serviceable option for the Cowboys, and more importantly, either one will allow us to cash this bet.

• Thor's Prospect Profile: Tetairoa McMillan
• Thor's Prospect Profile: Matthew Golden

Shedeur Sanders No. 2 Pick

• Date: Mar. 29
• Book: BetMGM
• Odds: +350

ESPN's Adam Schefter has reported that EDGE Abdul Carter (Penn State) will likely be the No. 2 pick to the Browns, but …

• Schefter (as good as he is) has been wrong in the past about team/player pairings.
   
• Schefter couched his reporting/prognosticating in a world of caveats: "Right now," today," "we reserve the right to change our mind," "a lot of things change," "to me," "it looks like," "let's see how it plays out," etc. For a "report," that's honestly very soft.
   
• Schefter, with his report, has probably moved the market too far.

Here are the current odds for Carter to go No. 2.

• Caesars: -250
• DraftKings: -270
• FanDuel: -300
• BetMGM: -350

I take a "wisdom of the crowds" approach by regularly consulting the work of historically sharp mockers and aggregating it into an index, and "right now" (to use a Schefterism) QB Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) is the No. 2 pick in 48% of the recent sharp mocks I've surveyed, which translates to +108 odds (per our Fantasy Life Odds Calculator).

As I mention in my most recent mock draft, the Browns have failed to add a starting-caliber QB in free agency, which makes them a real candidate to select one at No. 2.

It's possible they could trade for veteran QB Kirk Cousins, but even if they do, they (like the Falcons last year with Michael Penix) could still take a QB in Round 1.

And Sanders is arguably worthy of the No. 2 selection, given his overall career production.

As a true freshman at Jackson State, he passed for 3,231 yards and 30 TDs to eight INTs, and then as a sophomore, he improved upon those numbers with 3,752 yards and 40 TDs to six INTs.

As a junior, he passed for 3,230 yards and 27 TDs to just three INTs in his first year at Colorado, and then as a senior he had a nation-best 74.0% completion rate while slinging it for 4,134 yards and 37 TDs to 10 INTs and winning the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as the nation's top upperclassman QB.

As a pocket passer, Sanders could fit into offensive HC Kevin Stefanski's system.

And then finally there's EDGE Myles Garrett, to whom the Browns just gave a four-year, $160M extension with $123.5M guaranteed. With Garrett, the Browns don't need Carter the way that they need a QB.

And Garrett seems to have a sense of the team's plans at QB (plans that contributed to his decision to stay with the team), and he has recently said—while answering a question about the team's potential plans with the No. 2 pick and the QB position in general—that “any team that's going to go far needs a QB, and one that's young.”

Schefter tends to be right more often than he's wrong, but I think the market has moved way too aggressively toward Carter on something that is probably still a coin flip.

Sanders is worth a bet to go No. 2 at markedly plus odds.

Thor's Prospect Profile: Shedeur Sanders

Travis Hunter No. 1 Non-QB

• Date: Mar. 29
• Book: DraftKings
• Odds: +190

Right now, EDGE Abdul Carter (Penn State) is -300 (DraftKings) to be the first non-QB selected. I think those odds are far too short, creating value on WR/CB Travis Hunter (Colorado).

Let's assume the Titans select QB Cam Ward (Miami) at No. 1.

After him, there are two true blue-chip prospects available: Carter and Hunter.

Carter is great: He's young (21 years old), pedigreed (unanimous All-American), and productive (12 sacks and nation-leading 24 tackles for loss as a junior).

But he also has injury issues: He didn't work out at the combine because of a stress reaction in his right foot, and then he didn't work out at his pro day because he's still rehabbing his shoulder from an injury suffered during the season.

That might be enough to push a team toward Hunter, who, you know, is the most talented prospect in this class given his all-around, both-sides-of-the-ball skill set.

Last year, Hunter won the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the most outstanding receiver in college football with 96-1,258-15 receiving—and he won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the defensive player of the year.

With his ability to impact both the offense and defense at a high level, Hunter already deserves consideration vs. Carter as the No. 1 non-QB … and then you look at the teams picking Nos. 2-3.

The Browns at No. 2 already have EDGE Myles Garrett. The Giants at No. 3 already have EDGEs Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux.

But both teams could use help at WR and CB.

I understand why Carter's the favorite, but Hunter shouldn't be this big of a dog.

Thor's Prospect Profile: Travis Hunter

Will Johnson No. 1 DB (Not Including Travis Hunter)

• Date: Mar. 29
• Book: FanDuel
• Odds: +100

Given that teams aren't sure which position WR/CB Travis Hunter will play in the NFL, there's a chance that someone else will actually be the first true DB selected in the class—and some books have released props to that effect. 

I think this prop comes down to three players, maybe five.

• CB Will Johnson (Michigan): +100 (FanDuel)
• CB Jahdae Barron (Texas): +125 (FanDuel)
• S Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina): +950 (BetMGM)
• S Malaki Starks (Georgia): +1200 (BetMGM)
• CB Maxwell Hairston (Kentucky): +5500 (FanDuel)

In the recent sharp mocks I've consulted, here's the breakdown of No. 1 non-Hunter DBs.

• Johnson: 64%
• Barron: 28%
• Emmanwori: 4%
• Starks: 4%
• Hairston: 0%

Johnson's 64% hit rate translates to -177 odds.

I will be the first to admit that Johnson has a wide range of draft outcomes. I could see him going as high as No. 6 to the Raiders and as low as No. 23 to the Packers.

But with good size (6-2, 194 lbs.) and pedigree (five recruitment stars), Johnson is a worthy No. 1 DB and very bettable at even money.

Under 2.5 Round 1 WRs (Not Including Travis Hunter)

• Date: Mar. 29
• Book: DraftKings
• Odds: +220

This prop doesn't include WR/CB Travis Hunter (Colorado). If it did, the juice to the under would likely be -800 at least. In literally not one mock I've seen have there been fewer than 2.5 WRs when counting Hunter.

Also, at the combine he was listed as a CB (not a WR), and on the league's combine tracker Hunter's first positional designation is CB.

And DraftKings even states: “Hunter will be classified as a CB only and will be counted as a WR for settlement purposes.”

So this prop is about WRs Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona), Matthew Golden (Texas), Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State), and Luther Burden (Missouri), and how many of them get into Round 1.

Now, here are two facts that might seem contradictory at first glance but aren't.

• We will probably see three non-Hunter WRs in Round 1.
• Both Egbuka and Luther individually are unlikely to go in Round 1.

So, one of Egbuka and Luther collectively has a good shot to hear his name called on Day 1, but separately, they're both best projected for early Day 2.

In recent sharp mocks I've perused, both Egbuka and Luther have sub-50% Round 1 occurrence.

• Egbuka: 48%
• Burden: 28%

And the probability we see three-plus Round 1 WRs, while still greater than 50%, is still not all that great (based on mocks).

• Over 2.5 WRs: 56%
• Under 2.5 WRs: 44%

A 44% hit rate comes out to +127 odds.

This is not a great WR class, especially when we take into account that the best WR in the class (Hunter) might not even play the position on a full-time basis in the NFL.

With that in mind, I'm fine taking the under at significant plus money. There are lots of ways for both Egbuka and Burden—or even McMillan or Golden—to fall down the board and out of Round 1.

Thor's WRs Rankings: McMillan, Golden, et al.

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