Despite what Saquon Barkley may have made some think with his heroics in the 2025 playoffs, the NFL is a quarterback league. It’s not a surprise, then, that even in a relatively weak quarterback class, former University of Miami signal-caller Cameron Ward is a -700 favorite to be selected by the Tennessee Titans with the first overall pick at DraftKings Sportsbook.
After Ward, though, it gets interesting. Former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders has +150 odds to go to the Cleveland Browns with the second pick, but he’s not the betting favorite. Instead, that honor belongs to Abdul Carter, the former Penn State edge rusher.
DraftKings Sportsbook also offers odds on who will be the first non-quarterback selected. The overwhelming favorite in this category is, unsurprisingly, Carter, who has -350 odds. Second is Heisman Trophy winner and former Buffaloes cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter (+210).
Bet on 2025 NFL Draft prop bets at DraftKings Sportsbook, including 1st Non QB Selected, here.
2025 NFL Draft Props: First Non-QB Selected
Although Carter understandably has the shortest odds to be the first non-quarterback selected, I think his odds are too short, given the Browns’ multitude of problems. With Deshaun Watson seemingly unlikely to take the field this season, Cleveland has only Kenny Pickett at quarterback, and there’s a reason why he flamed out as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starter and had to settle for a backup role behind Jalen Hurts on the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles.
Depending on how high you are on Hurts, you can easily make the argument that every Super Bowl-winning team since 2018 had a top-five quarterback on its roster. I’m not sure whether Sanders’ ceiling is that high — he’s a fairly accurate pocket passer who with average arm strength and average athleticism — but I’m 100% positive that Pickett’s isn’t. Edge rusher is far from the Browns’ biggest need; after all, they just re-signed Myles Garrett to the largest non-quarterback contract in NFL history. Cleveland needs help all over the field, and it should start with a quarterback in Sanders who’s relatively pro-ready from the outset.
If Cleveland takes Sanders second overall, the onus to take the first non-quarterback falls on the New York Giants at three. New York has a bridge quarterback in former Browns signal-caller Jameis Winston, and although Winston was given just a two-year, $8 million deal, he should at least have the chance to fight for a starting role. Jaxson Dart, Quinn Ewers, and Jalen Milroe would all represent major reaches, so the Giants should instead opt for Hunter. New York had the league’s ninth-worst defense by expected points, and it ranked near the top of the league in both yards and touchdowns allowed to wide receivers. Hunter should be an immediate starter on defense while also providing depth to a wide receiver room that is shallow beyond Malik Nabers.
The Giants could take Carter, but both Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns ranked among the league’s top 50 edge rushers last season, per Pro Football Focus, and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II is a bona fide star. New York ranked 10th last year in sacks and 18th in pressure percentage, so while it’s not an elite unit, Hunter would address a bigger hole than Carter. The stress reaction in Carter’s foot, which was discovered during the Scouting Combine, is concerning for a 251-pound player, even though he’s expected to participate at the Nittany Lions’ Pro Day on Friday. Given Hunter’s fit on the Giants’ roster and his favorable odds, I like him to be the first non-quarterback selected on April 24.
