When betting odds for the first overall pick at the 2025 NFL Draft initially came out, it was a three-horse race of quarterbacks for the top spot.
Shedeur Sanders, Carson Beck, and Quinn Ewers were neck-and-neck in early lines at FanDuel Sportsbook. In the following days, the lines shifted to Sanders as the favorite, but the board moved once again.
Beck is now alone as the top favorite at odds of +300, with Sanders in second at +470. Meanwhile, Ewers (+1400) has dropped to the fourth spot behind James Pearce Jr. (+650), a standout defensive end from Tennessee. Here’s where things currently stand in the latest NFL Draft odds.
Beck takes over as the favorite to go first overall
Last December, Beck announced that he would be returning for his senior season at Georgia. The Bulldogs’ quest for a three-peat was crushed with a loss to Alabama in last season’s SEC championship game. They had to settle for a berth in the Orange Bowl, picking up a dominant 63-3 victory over Florida State.
Beck had a solid junior campaign, throwing for 3,941 yards, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions while completing 72.4% of his passes. He’s also one of the favorites in Heisman Trophy odds for the coming campaign, while Georgia is the favorite to win the National Championship.
Can the Buffs stay in the spotlight?
A season ago, Sanders and Colorado sprinted out of the gate with an electric 3-0 start. He had 11 total TDs and just one pick over that span, which included an upset over TCU in the opener. The season went south from there as the Buffaloes won just one more game the rest of the way to finish at 4-8.
Despite the letdown from a solid start, Sanders delivered on the statistical front. He finished with 3,230 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and three picks, and he also rushed for four TDs. Sanders is currently well off the pace in Heisman odds in 19th place, while Colorado is 11th out of 16 teams in early lines to win the Big 12.
As the starting QB for a national title contender, Beck will likely have plenty of time in the spotlight this season. If he takes a leap forward statistically and Georgia contends, a lofty draft slot seems likely.
Expectations are tempered for Colorado, but head coach Deion Sanders has helped draw plenty of attention to the program. If his son can live up to the hype and deliver on the statistical front, the race for first overall could be interesting.
Other contenders for the 2025 draft
As the offseason moves along, Beck and Sanders will likely continue to pace the field. After the games that matter get underway, though, we’ll likely see more jockeying for position. Colorado opens its season at home as a favorite versus North Dakota State on Aug. 29. Georgia opens on Aug. 31 as a favorite against Clemson in a game that will take place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Behind the two leaders, just four other players currently have first-overall pick odds of less than +2000 at FanDuel Sportsbook:
- Tennessee DE James Pearce Jr. (+650)
- Texas QB Quinn Ewers (+1400)
- Washington State QB Cameron Ward (+1700)
- Penn State QB Drew Allar (+1900)
As always, QBs will likely be a hot commodity for the clubs with high picks in the 2025 draft. Pearce Jr. has a chance to disrupt the proceedings, and the same holds true on the field. The 6-foot-5, 242-pound prospect racked up 9.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and an interception for the Volunteers last season.
He’s expected to be the first defensive player off the board at the next draft. Ewers is the returning starter for a Longhorns team that’s expected to compete for a berth in the CFP. Ward had 33 total TDs for the Cougars a season ago, while Allar threw for 25 while under center for the Nittany Lions.
