2025 NFL Draft Odds: Who Will Go First Overall?
The draft rumors are heating up with the NFL Scouting Combine here, especially with it so unclear what the Tennessee Titans will do with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
The draft is set to begin on April 24 in Green Bay. But amid a class that's considered one of the weakest in recent memory, will a QB be the choice for new Titans GM GM Mike Borgonzi? The 2025 NFL Draft odds lean that way, with Miami's Cam Ward at minus money.
But Borgonzi and Co. will get quality options if they don't plan on taking a potential franchise QB. Could they spurn Ward for Penn State's Abdul Carter, Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, or even trade the pick to a QB-needy team?
Who will the Titans select with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft?
Our live NFL draft odds for the No. 1 pick update in real time.
Cam Ward, QB, Miami (-135)
Although there was some Ward vs. Shedeur Sanders talk earlier on for the QB1 crown, the major NFL draftniks view the Hurricanes' Heisman finalist as the consensus top passer. The Athletic's Dane Brugler, NFL's Daniel Jeremiah, and ESPN's Jordan Reid are among the most well-respected NFL draft analysts listing Ward as the top QB.
Between Ward's physical tools, including some serious arm talent, and his production at Miami, it's easy to see why Tennessee would potentially select him No. 1. The other element going for him is how he's developed from a no-star Wing-T high school QB into a consensus All-American.
Clearly his arrow is pointing up with the way Ward has become better at each stop, from Incarnate Word in the FCS to Washington State and Miami, while breaking the Division I passing TD record (158) along the way. Ward also thrived while making the jump to the ACC last season, and he was second in the country in big-time throws (31), according to PFF.
But unlike last year's QB class, the group this year doesn't feature a clear-cut top pick, and that includes Ward. Brugler has even said Ward would have been the fourth QB at best last year, behind Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye. So will Boronzi really force a QB with this pick?
Could the Titans be more willing to play Will Levis, or sign a veteran, for next season with an eye on the 2026 NFL Draft? Next year's crop of QBs includes the Heisman Trophy odds favorite in Texas' Arch Manning, LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, Penn State's Drew Allar, and Clemson's Cade Klubnik.
These odds are far too short this early given the lack of clarity around what Boronzi will do, especially considering the former Chiefs assistant GM said the Titans won't pass on a "generational talent."
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Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State (+175)
While many initially believed Hunter is the "generational talent" Borgonzi was referencing due to his ability to shine on both sides of the ball, it's becoming increasingly clear it could just have easily been about Carter.
The Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year moved from a hybrid off-ball linebacker role in his first two seasons at University Park to a full-time pass rusher last season, and it paid off. Carter recorded the second-most pressures in the country (66) and the second-most defensive stops among defensive linemen (43) last season.
Jeremiah views him as the top player in the draft, and he's forecasting Tennessee selecting the 21-year-old No. 1 in his latest mock draft. It also helps his cause that the only time a non-QB has heard his name called first on draft night in the last decade was when Travon Walker (2022), Myles Garrett (2017), and Jadeveon Clowney (2014) were taken No. 1.
So recent history indicates if it's not a potential franchise QB being taken first, a freaky pass rusher from a premier conference is likely. The Titans also just granted pass rusher Harold Landry permission to seek a trade, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, giving Boronzi even more reason to focus on finding a game-changing player along the defensive line.
I'd be betting on Carter to go No. 1 at this point in the process over both Ward and Hunter, with a $10 winning bet paying a $17.50 profit. However, that bet might be worth waiting on with Carter not participating in the on-field portion of the NFL Scouting Combine. That could lead to Ward and Hunter creating more buzz, and ultimately lengthening Cater's odds to be the first pick.
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Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado (+900)
The last time a wide receiver was the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft was Keyshawn Johnson in 1996. The last time a defensive back was the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft was Gary Glick in 1956. And the last time a two-way player was the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft was center/linebacker Chuck "Concrete Charlie" Bednarik in 1949.
So history says Hunter likely won't be the first player selected on April 24. But he was also told he wouldn't be a two-way star in college football and needed to begin his career at Jackson State to get the opportunity to go both ways. Could he prove NFL draftniks wrong again and come off the board first overall?
There's a reason our best sports betting sites are setting Hunter's odds significantly longer than Carter's prices. The NFL values QBs and trench play more than anything else. Would Tennessee really be willing to pass on the best QB in the draft and a dynamic pass rusher to take Hunter? And would head coach Brian Callahan let the Colorado star play both ways?
Every No. 1 pick since 1997 has been a quarterback, offensive tackle, or defensive end. And while I can appreciate that Hunter is a mold-breaker, I just don't think it makes sense for the Titans' new front office to pass on Carter for Hunter.
Obviously he could help fill a huge hole at wide receiver and potentially help at cornerback, though that's less of a need for the Titans. But the two most important positions in modern football are the quarterback and the player who hunts the quarterback.
So even though Hunter averaged 2.51 yards per route run with 11 contested catches while allowing just a 39.9 NFL QB rating on defense last season, it seems like a long shot that Borgonzi would elect to take him over Ward and Carter.
Will the Titans trade the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft?
Team to make No. 1 pick odds from DraftKings; last updated Feb. 26 and subject to change.
Team to make No. 1 pick odds
- Titans: -260
- Raiders: +350
- Giants: +550
- Jets: +1200
- Browns: +2000
- Rams: +4000
- 49ers: +5000
- Saints: +5000
If Borgonzi believes he can move back and still get a game-changer in this draft, would he shift the pick to a QB-needy team? If Tennessee trades out of No. 1, it would likely shorten Ward's odds to be the first selection even further.
The Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants are getting the shortest odds after the Titans to make the No. 1 pick. They're the two teams that are most frequently connected to QBs in this draft. Could one of them move up for Ward?
Giants head coach Brian Daboll was given a similarly physically gifted but raw passer in Josh Allen when he was the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills. And Daboll's OC Mike Kafka was the Kansas City Chiefs' QB coach the first year they opted to start Patrick Mahomes, who had been labeled as a project coming out of Texas Tech.
Ward makes a lot of sense for the Giants, but would they trade up? At this point, I think Carter goes No. 1 to the Titans and Hunter goes No. 2 to the Browns (Cleveland GM Andrew Berry said he can go two ways for the Browns, but the team sees him as a wide receiver first). So the most significant reason for New York GM Joe Schoen to move up would be to ensure a team like the Raiders doesn't do it first to select Ward.
But with Pete Carroll taking over in Vegas and hiring Chip Kelly as his OC, waiting to select Sanders at No. 6 makes more sense. Plus, the Raiders' minority owner Tom Brady maintains a relationship with Sanders already, and that might matter more than we realize.
So for now I'd avoid betting into this market with so much uncertainty around what the Titans will do, and which teams are interested in what quarterbacks.
Will Cam Ward be the first QB selected in the NFL draft?
Our live NFL draft odds for the first QB selected update in real time.
Ward's odds to be the first QB taken will only get shorter at our best sports betting apps. Most respected NFL draftniks clearly view him as the top passer, and they tend to hold similar views to NFL front offices.
Given his arm talent, production, and ascending skill as he continues to develop, Ward maintains the highest ceiling of any QB in the class. Meanwhile, Sanders' choice to not throw at the East-West Shrine Bowl or NFL Scouting Combine won't hurt his stock, but those were opportunities to show he's on the same level as Ward.
Passing on those chances to add to his resume will be overblown. However, when there are questions about arm talent, not taking the opportunity to disprove doubters live in front of scouts certainly comes with negative connotations. That's why I just don't see anyway Ward isn't the first QB taken, and don't get me started on the bizarre Jaxson Dart hype.
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