2025 NFL Draft betting guide: How you can nail YOUR picks on the big night
The NFL Draft has become one of the biggest events of the yearly sporting calendar in the US, even though there is no on-field action, no footballs thrown or touchdowns scored. NFL Draft 2025 quick tips Shedeur Sanders to be selected in the top five – 17/4 with bet365 Matthew Golden to be selected in the top ten – 22/1 with Paddy Power TreVeyon Henderson to be selected in the first round – 11/10 with Sky Bet Cam Ward, Abdul Carter, Travis Hunter, Will Campbell & Mason Graham to be the first five picks, in that order – 12/1 with Sky Bet An offensive lineman to be Mr Irrelevant – 4/1 with bet365 Last year, it was watched by over 34 million people on NFL Network, ESPN and ABC and attended by a record-breaking crowd of 275,000 on night one. Viewership in the UK is on the rise too thanks to Sky Sports’ showing the entire thing on its dedicated NFL channel, plus several buildup and reaction shows ahead of, and throughout, the weekend. On the surface, it sounds like the most tedious television imaginable – a man walks up to a podium, announces a player’s name, that player emerges on stage or is seen celebrating at home, and then we wait several minutes for the next one. Behind the curtain, however, is where the real drama is unfolding. 32 teams battle to secure the top college talents in the nation while analysts dissect all the speculation, strategies, smokescreens and thought processes behind every pick, or discuss why a certain player wasn’t picked. For fans of football (the round ball variety) in this country, imagine transfer deadline day but with the same pool of players available to every team – with no transfer fees or budgets involved – and seeing everything play out very publicly. There are cameras inside each team’s ‘war room’ as well as the ‘green room’ where all the highest-rated prospects wait anxiously for the call, and even inside some players’ homes. The gathering hordes of fans in attendance, and their fancy dress, are also an obvious highlight as well as the guest appearances seen on days two and three! There’s never a shortage of storylines as the three-day marathon is virtually guaranteed to throw up shocking twists and turns, as some players go unexpectedly early or slip down the board. The general managers and recruitment staff of all 32 teams are under intense pressure to build a roster capable of challenging for the Super Bowl next season and, with only a handful of selections each, it simply cannot go exactly as planned for all of them. How the NFL Draft works All 32 teams in the NFL are assigned picks in each of the seven rounds, according to how well they performed in the season just finished. The team with the worst record goes first, and the Super Bowl winner waits until last. This year, it’ll be the Tennessee Titans getting the ball rolling. Teams can, however, trade picks and this often creates the biggest drama on draft night. A team desperately wanting a particular player can call another team higher up in the order, offering multiple picks to jump up and secure their guy. Often, it’s quarterbacks who are the most aggressively pursued players as their performance has a huge bearing on whether a team wins or loses. Many of the most famous faces in the sport past and present have been quarterbacks – think Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. Pass rushers, wide receivers and cornerbacks are also regarded to be ‘premium’ positions which teams will covet. Last year, for example, the Philadelphia Eagles traded up to grab corner/safety hybrid Cooper DeJean, who scored a ‘pick six’ in their dominant Super Bowl victory in February. It’s fair to say that one paid off! They can also do this throughout the year too, trading picks in exchange for players to provide an immediate boost to their championship hopes during a season. This is why some teams may enter the draft with relatively few selections and some may have several. This year, the Minnesota Vikings only have four picks and the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers each have 11. The Vikings may therefore elect to trade down to gain picks and the Ravens and 49ers may package some of theirs to climb up the board. As they all prepare to go ‘on the clock’ on Thursday night, here is our guide as to how you can make the best selections in the betting markets. Shedeur Sanders could still be a top 5 pick A few months ago, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders was regarded to be neck and neck with Cam Ward as the best signal caller in the class and therefore a shoo-in to be selected in the top five. As happens with some prospects every year though, his stock around the league is believed to have fallen following the scouting combine. The New York Giants, picking third and one-time potential suitors, have secured themselves in the short term having signed Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston and are no longer desperate for a QB. The Tennessee Titans’ fron
The NFL Draft has become one of the biggest events of the yearly sporting calendar in the US, even though there is no on-field action, no footballs thrown or touchdowns scored.
NFL Draft 2025 quick tips
- Shedeur Sanders to be selected in the top five – 17/4 with bet365
- Matthew Golden to be selected in the top ten – 22/1 with Paddy Power
- TreVeyon Henderson to be selected in the first round – 11/10 with Sky Bet
- Cam Ward, Abdul Carter, Travis Hunter, Will Campbell & Mason Graham to be the first five picks, in that order – 12/1 with Sky Bet
- An offensive lineman to be Mr Irrelevant – 4/1 with bet365
Last year, it was watched by over 34 million people on NFL Network, ESPN and ABC and attended by a record-breaking crowd of 275,000 on night one. Viewership in the UK is on the rise too thanks to Sky Sports’ showing the entire thing on its dedicated NFL channel, plus several buildup and reaction shows ahead of, and throughout, the weekend.
On the surface, it sounds like the most tedious television imaginable – a man walks up to a podium, announces a player’s name, that player emerges on stage or is seen celebrating at home, and then we wait several minutes for the next one. Behind the curtain, however, is where the real drama is unfolding. 32 teams battle to secure the top college talents in the nation while analysts dissect all the speculation, strategies, smokescreens and thought processes behind every pick, or discuss why a certain player wasn’t picked.
For fans of football (the round ball variety) in this country, imagine transfer deadline day but with the same pool of players available to every team – with no transfer fees or budgets involved – and seeing everything play out very publicly. There are cameras inside each team’s ‘war room’ as well as the ‘green room’ where all the highest-rated prospects wait anxiously for the call, and even inside some players’ homes. The gathering hordes of fans in attendance, and their fancy dress, are also an obvious highlight as well as the guest appearances seen on days two and three!
There’s never a shortage of storylines as the three-day marathon is virtually guaranteed to throw up shocking twists and turns, as some players go unexpectedly early or slip down the board. The general managers and recruitment staff of all 32 teams are under intense pressure to build a roster capable of challenging for the Super Bowl next season and, with only a handful of selections each, it simply cannot go exactly as planned for all of them.
How the NFL Draft works
All 32 teams in the NFL are assigned picks in each of the seven rounds, according to how well they performed in the season just finished. The team with the worst record goes first, and the Super Bowl winner waits until last. This year, it’ll be the Tennessee Titans getting the ball rolling. Teams can, however, trade picks and this often creates the biggest drama on draft night. A team desperately wanting a particular player can call another team higher up in the order, offering multiple picks to jump up and secure their guy.
Often, it’s quarterbacks who are the most aggressively pursued players as their performance has a huge bearing on whether a team wins or loses. Many of the most famous faces in the sport past and present have been quarterbacks – think Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. Pass rushers, wide receivers and cornerbacks are also regarded to be ‘premium’ positions which teams will covet. Last year, for example, the Philadelphia Eagles traded up to grab corner/safety hybrid Cooper DeJean, who scored a ‘pick six’ in their dominant Super Bowl victory in February. It’s fair to say that one paid off!
They can also do this throughout the year too, trading picks in exchange for players to provide an immediate boost to their championship hopes during a season. This is why some teams may enter the draft with relatively few selections and some may have several. This year, the Minnesota Vikings only have four picks and the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers each have 11. The Vikings may therefore elect to trade down to gain picks and the Ravens and 49ers may package some of theirs to climb up the board.
As they all prepare to go ‘on the clock’ on Thursday night, here is our guide as to how you can make the best selections in the betting markets.
Shedeur Sanders could still be a top 5 pick
A few months ago, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders was regarded to be neck and neck with Cam Ward as the best signal caller in the class and therefore a shoo-in to be selected in the top five.
As happens with some prospects every year though, his stock around the league is believed to have fallen following the scouting combine. The New York Giants, picking third and one-time potential suitors, have secured themselves in the short term having signed Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston and are no longer desperate for a QB.
The Tennessee Titans’ front office tried to throw the rest of the league a curveball by suggesting they would take a “generational talent” with the first pick. At the time, people were led to believe this wouldn’t be either of the quarterbacks as Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter are viewed as unicorns at their respective positions. Given they made no effort to land a veteran in free agency, however, they are surely selecting Ward on Thursday night.
The Cleveland Browns, picking second, also need a starting quarterback given Deshaun Watson is set to miss the whole 2025 season after tearing his Achilles in January. According to the latest mock drafts and bookies’ odds, however, it is believed their eyes are firmly on Sanders’ college teammate Hunter – who, uniquely, plays as both a wide receiver and a cornerback.
Free Bet Offers
See all the best free bets and betting offers available over at our dedicated page
18+ gambleaware.org. T&Cs apply
In the leadup to the 2023 draft, there were rumours going round that the Houston Texans were in fact not going to take C.J. Stroud. I still wouldn’t rule it out. Despite picking second, the Browns have a solid roster and their terrible 2024 season owes a lot to Watson’s poor play before his injury. Sanders may not be an elite prospect, but he may be good enough to propel the team into the playoff conversation.
Unlike last year’s class which saw six quarterbacks selected in the first round, and three-in-a-row to kickstart proceedings, this year only Ward and Sanders are believed to be worth the gamble. Given the scarcity, it also wouldn’t be shocking if a team traded up for Sanders. The New England Patriots, at four, selected one of those six QBs last year – Drake Maye – and may therefore be willing to deal with a team making them a lucrative offer – the New York Jets or New Orleans Saints, perhaps?
Sanders is currently 17/4 to be a top five pick, and 15/1 if you’re feeling a bit bolder and have him going number two. It’s worth a punt.
