Patriots What oddsmakers are predicting for the Patriots less than a week before the draft If the betting odds are any indication, there are at least a few positions in play for the Patriots with the No. 14 overall pick. Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr. has been the player most mock drafts have the Patriots selecting with the No. 14 overall pick. Barry Reeger/AP Photo
The countdown to the 2023 NFL Draft has finally moved from weeks away to days away.
As Thursday’s first round nears, mock drafts are starting to paint a clearer and clearer picture of what might go down during the seven-round event.
Mock drafts aren’t necessarily the only thing that might predict what teams do in the draft. Betting odds could also be a tell, too. In fact, there have been some notable examples over the last few years in the NFL and NBA drafts in which activity on the betting market ended up being a tell as to who a team would select with a top pick.
Of course, the Patriots might be the least predictable team when it comes to the draft. But that isn’t going to stop people from making predictions in mock drafts or setting odds on who they might pick.
Advertisement:
Because the Patriots don’t select until the No. 14 overall pick, many sportsbooks don’t have odds on which specific player they might choose. Most sportsbooks have odds though on which position the Patriots might target with their first-round pick (or with their first overall pick if they trade out of the first round).
While there isn’t a clear favorite as to which position the Patriots will take with their top pick, there are a few that stand above the rest. On DraftKings Sportsbook, offensive lineman (+225) and cornerback (+225) are the betting favorites to be the position of the first player the Patriots draft. Wide receiver isn’t too far behind at +240 odds.
However, on FanDuel Sportsbook, a wide receiver being the player the Patriots select with their first pick has the best odds at +200. Cornerback (+250) and offensive lineman (+300) aren’t too far behind, though.
Those have been the three positions that draft analysts have had the Patriots targeting with the No. 14 overall pick in most mock drafts. There’s been one player at each position that have been the most linked to the Patriots in mock drafts, too. Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. has been the player most mock drafts the Patriots have selecting wtih the No. 14 overall pick, per NFL Mock Draft Database. Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones and TCU WR Quentin Johnston are second and third, respectively.
Advertisement:
Those are just a few of the players though from those respective positions that have been linked to the Patriots mock drafts. In a recent combo mock draft done by Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay, McShay had the Patriots selecting Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. with their first-round pick. NFL Network’s Peter Schrager has them selecting Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon at 14. Patriots.com’s Evan Lazar has the Patriots trading down to No. 20 and selecting Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers.
There are a few other positions that have +1000 odds or better to be the position of the Patriots’ first draft pick. Interestingly, the Patriots drafting a quarterback has the fourth-best odds at +700 on DraftKings Sportsbook. Earlier this week, it was reported that Kentucky’s Will Levis visited the Patriots on the final day of official top 30 visits. However, Levis became the betting favorite to be the No. 2 overall pick on Saturday, likely making him a longshot to be the Patriots’ first selection.
The Patriots selecting an edge rusher with their first pick has the fifth-best odds (+900) while them selecting a running back with their first pick has the sixth-best odds (+1000), per DraftKings Sportsbook. Earlier in April, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reported that the Patriots are “absolutely intrigued” by Texas running back Bijan Robinson. NFL Network’s lead draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah had the Patriots selecting Robinson, who is commonly viewed as one of the best overall prospects in the draft, in his latest mock draft.
Advertisement:
So, as the draft is days away, there’s still a bit of mystery as to who the Patriots might select. But we might have a good idea as to what they might do with their top pick.