National Football League

Wager on J.J. McCarthy to go No. 4 in NFL Draft, other best bets

Updated Apr. 17, 2024 12:57 p.m. ET

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Geoff Schwartz

FOX Sports Betting Analyst

The NFL draft is days away and the odds for several different draft markets are available across different sportsbooks.

You can wager on who you think will go first, on different players' draft positions and everything in between.

There are three wagers, however, that I've got my eyes on — and they're all on the offensive side of the ball and will all be, by my projections, first-round selections.

Check out a few of my best bets for next week's NFL draft.

J.J. McCarthy No. 4 Pick

The Bears are drafting Caleb Williams with the first pick. And like I’ve written about for months, the Commanders are taking Jayden Daniels with the second pick. The third pick will be quarterback Drake Maye from North Carolina, although I’m not sure the Patriots — who currently sit at No. 3 — will be the team making that pick. 

That leaves McCarthy as the next quarterback off the board. 

The Cardinals have the fourth pick and the Chargers have the fifth. And L.A. will not select a quarterback in the draft. 

The Giants with the sixth pick, followed by the Vikings and Broncos at No. 11 and No. 12, respectively, are the next squads likely to draft a QB. Outside the Giants — who could sit at sixth without any trades above them — teams will need to move ahead of New York to secure a QB if they need one. 

I do not believe McCarthy is worthy of trading up to fourth, but I’m not an NFL general manager in desperate need of a quarterback. 

So if you’re the Broncos — and have the worst QB room in the league right now — or the Vikings, who would love McCarthy, you must trade up. 

The first opportunity to draft McCarthy would be at No. 4. The Cardinals would trade back ASAP, grab more future draft picks and then draft the best player available wherever they end up after the trade. 

The value at +340 is better than McCarthy as a top-five pick at -175 or even the Vikings to draft McCarthy at +125. I’m going to wager on him being the No. 4 pick.

PICK: J.J. McCarthy (+340) drafted No. 4

NFL scouts: J.J. McCarthy is 'not a first-round pick'

JC Latham first offensive lineman drafted

Pizza money wagers can make a sporting event more fun to watch and this wager on Latham would be an example. Essentially, this will be a small bet on a long shot that most likely will not hit. 

However, I can make a case for Latham going to the Chargers at right tackle. 

Latham is a right tackle in the NFL. He’s not a left tackle or a guard. The other tackles in his tier, like Taliese Fuaga, profile to play guard in the NFL. If the Chargers are selecting an offensive tackle at No. 5, I could see them choosing Latham over Joe Alt because that's what the Chargers need. 

L.A. has an All-Pro-caliber left tackle in Rashawn Slater and might be too spooked to draft Alt from Notre Dame, as he profiles to be a left tackle in the league. So Latham could be off the board first if the Chargers go with a true right tackle. 

PICK: JC Latham (+2000) first offensive lineman drafted

Keyshawn ranks Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels & Top QBs in 2024 NFL Draft

Over/Under 6.5 wide receivers drafted in the first round 

Marvin Harrison Jr, Malik Nabers and Rome Odzune will all be drafted in the top 10. Brian Thomas Jr. from LSU is a first-round lock, along with Xavier Worthy. 

All of those receivers could be drafted before wide receiver-needy teams like the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs are on the clock. Both of those squads taking receivers would put this number at least seven. 

NFL Insider and fellow FOX Sports colleague Peter Scherger debuted his one and only mock draft, and in it, he's got Ladd McConkey as the eighth receiver in the first round. 

Getting a plus number here is worth the wager. 

PICK: Over 6.5 wide receivers drafted in Round 1 (+182)

Geoff Schwartz is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports. He played eight seasons in the NFL for five different teams. He started at right tackle for the University of Oregon for three seasons and was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection his senior year. Follow him on Twitter @GeoffSchwartz.

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