NFL

NFL Draft Betting: The 2 Best Bets in the Top-5 Pick Market

The top-five pick market seems low on two players, one of whom is Oregon's Kayvon Thibodeaux.

There are a ton of ways to bet the NFL Draft at FanDuel Sportsbook this year, including specific players at specific picks, but there is also a top-five pick market.

It excludes Michigan Wolverines edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson (who is -170 to be the first pick of the draft). Here are the odds for everyone else to go inside the top five of the 2022 NFL Draft.

2022 NFL Draft
Top 5 Pick Odds
FanDuel
Sportsbook
Odds
Travon Walker-700
Ikem Ekwonu-250
Kayvon Thibodeaux-160
Evan Neal-140
Ahmad Gardner+100
Charles Cross+350
Jermaine Johnson+350
Malik Willis+400
Kyle Hamilton+400
Garrett Wilson+700
Drake London+700
Kenny Pickett+700
Jameson Williams+2000
Derek Stingley Jr.+2000
Jordan Davis+3000
Treylon Burks+3000
Chris Olave+5000
Devin Lloyd+5000


While there are heavy odds on Georgia Bulldogs edge rusher Travon Walker (-700), he ranks fifth on NFL Mock Draft Database's big board. To be fair, he is oft projected to go second overall to the Detroit Lions. Grinding the Mocks puts Walker fourth overall with an expected draft position of 5.2, so that one's tough to back at such steep odds.

Ikem Ekwonu (-250) is rated fourth via NFL Mock Draft Database and owns an expected draft position of 5.4 via Grinding the Mocks. ESPN's Draft Day Predictor shows roughly a 45% probability the North Carolina State offensive tackle is taken inside the top five. There are better bets here.

Kayvon Thibodeaux (-160) is where we start to see some value. The edge rusher from Oregon is ranked second by NFL Mock Draft Database and boasts an expected draft position of 3.9 (the best mark other than Hutchinson's 1.5) via Grinding the Mocks. ESPN's simulations have Thibodeaux as roughly 67% likely to go before pick six.

Though Ahmad Gardner (+100) is an even-money option to be a top-five pick, ESPN's simulations have the Cincinnati Bearcats' cornerback as under 20% likely to be on the board at pick six. Sixth on the big board at NFL Mock Draft Database, he's often mocked to the New York Jets at pick four. A lot points to value on Gardner to be a top-five option.

Thibodeaux and Gardner, then, are looking like the best values in this market.