The 2024 edition of the NFL draft is headlined once again by quarterbacks at the top of the odds board. If the current favorite to go first, USC’s Caleb Williams, ends up in that spot, it would be the eighth time in the last 11 years for a QB to be the top pick. Beyond Williams, quarterbacks are the favorites to be the picks in the next two to three spots, as well.
At some point, though, a team will pick a non-QB. Here are the current favorites to be the first non-quarterback selected in the latest NFL draft odds.
First non-qb betting preview
WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State:
Harrison Jr. has been the top receiver in draft odds for some time now. On top of that, observers have touted him as one of the best prospects of his generation. That’s no small claim, but Harrison’s play speaks for itself. In two seasons of starting at Ohio State, the 6-foot-3 receiver caught 144 passes for 2,474 yards and 28 touchdowns in 25 games while winning the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best receiver in 2023.
WR Malik Nabers, LSU:
Nabers and his LSU teammate Brian Thomas were the most devastating wide receiver duo in the FBS, but Nabers was the standout. His ability to run by defenders is something most players in the draft can’t match, and he caught 89 passes for 1,569 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2023.
OT Joe Alt, Notre Dame:
At 6-foot-8 and 322 pounds, Joe Alt is as imposing as they come. The Notre Dame offensive tackle is the son of Chiefs’ Hall of Fame tackle John Alt and the favorite to be the first offensive tackle off the board on Thursday night. A unanimous All-American selection in 2023, Alt allowed just one sack in two years of starting for the Fighting Irish.
WR Rome Odunze, Washington:
Rome Odunze is likely the first receiver off the board in most NFL draft classes, but competing with Harrison Jr. and Nabers in 2024 means he could easily be the third receiver selected. The Washington receiver caught 92 passes for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2023 as the Huskies progressed to the national championship.
CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo:
Mitchell has allowed passer ratings of just 34.8 and 51.1 when targeted over the last two seasons and cemented himself as one of the top cover corners in the NFL draft. The Toledo cornerback is primed to be the first defensive player off the board in an offensive-loaded first round.
