National Football League

NFL odds: Travon Walker new favorite to be No. 1 pick in NFL Draft

Updated Apr. 28, 2022 11:26 a.m. ET

A major odds shift Sunday night just made this week's NFL Draft a lot more interesting.

Don't look now, but Georgia Bulldog defensive end Travon Walker is now the odds-on favorite to go No. 1 overall at multiple sportsbooks. Per FOX Bet sports trader Daniel Montanari, Walker's odds to be chosen first opened at +3000 (bet $10 to win $310 total) and have now moved all the way to -162 (bet $10 to win $16.17 total).

This means that the Jacksonville Jaguars, who will select first, might be bringing some bark down to Duval. This also means that Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson — the former betting favorite — is now No. 2 on the odds board.

Betting on the NFL Draft usually involves educated speculation. We saw similar line movements last year with all the rumors surrounding Mac Jones' draft position. Jones' pre-draft line changes last year were largely attributed to speculative mocks and "insider information."

Like years past, this week will feature countless mock drafts, so expect these odds to jump around several more times before the next draft class is selected. In the meantime, let's dive into some potential reasons why Walker's odds may have moved.

The 6-foot-5, 275-pound junior recorded 19 sacks and assisted on 18 more during Georgia's national championship season. While Walker's outstanding performance on the Junkyard Dawgs' historically exceptional defense was certainly worthy of a No. 1 draft spot, it wasn't until Peter King dropped his most recent mock draft that Travon's odds jumped to the very top. Coincidence? Maybe.

But by now, it shouldn't be surprising that one analyst's mock draft impacts betting odds so significantly — especially one as highly regarded as King's.

This year, though, there is not an obvious No. 1 pick. Montanari said it's that ambiguity that affects the betting landscape.

"No clear No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft leads to this year's market being more volatile," the oddsmaker explained.

"But Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke values athletic ability, and Travon Walker’s combine numbers displayed this in abundance. This is what seemingly pushed him from a late first-round prospect to the top of the Jags' draft board."

We will have to wait until Thursday to see if Walker ends up being selected first. However, as far as the odds are concerned, he will likely be in good company as a few familiar names accompany him on the odds board.

Currently, lineman Aidan Hutchinson has the next-best odds at +150. Rounding out the Top 3 is Oregon defensive end, Kayvon Thibodeaux, at +800. The first quarterback on the list is Liberty's Malik Willis whose odds are listed at +400 (sixth-best).

When it comes to the NFL Draft's next No. 1 pick, what's your wager? Head over to FOX Bet to get in on the actions now!

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