Apr 30, 2021
2021 NFL Draft: Plenty of surprises on Day 1
Thanks in large part to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers and rumours of a potential trade, the NFL Draft was trending hours before the first overall pick was announced Thursday night in Cleveland.
The 2021 NFL Draft wasn’t supposed to heat up until the third overall pick.
Thanks in large part to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, the draft was trending hours before the first overall pick was announced.
ESPN Insider Adam Schefter’s report that Rodgers and the Packers had reached a breaking point added another level of intrigue heading into the first round.
While Green Bay did not make a trade on Thursday night, the rumours of a potential trade that would send Rodgers to the Denver Broncos generated some significant movement in NFL futures markets.
Shortly after the report surfaced, the Broncos went from +6000 to +2000 to win the Super Bowl.
Denver also went from +3000 to +1000 to win the AFC.
While it’s still nothing more than speculation at this point, it was fascinating to see several sports books react to the rumours and make the effort to get in front of any potential trade.
As for the actual draft, the third overall pick didn’t disappoint.
Forty-niners select Lance third overall
Less than 24 hours before the NFL Draft, Trey Lance was +300 to be the third overall pick.
However, that number started to move when it was leaked that Mac Jones was not the quarterback that the San Francisco 49ers were targeting with that selection.
By the time the draft got underway, Lance’s odds to be the third pick had shifted all the way from +300 to -180.
Jones, who was the consensus favourite to go third overall at -200 odds the night before, had moved to +150.
The late steam was justified when the 49ers made Lance the third overall pick.
Jones fell to the New England Patriots at 15th overall.
Pitts top non-quarterback selected
The Atlanta Falcons made Kyle Pitts the highest drafted tight end ever when they selected him fourth overall.
Pitts, who was -260 to be the top non-quarterback off the board, went immediately after Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Lance as the top three picks in the draft.
He also went one pick ahead of Ja’Marr Chase, who the Cincinnati Bengals made the top wide receiver off the board with the fifth overall pick.
Chase was -1200 to be the first wide receiver selected.
Chase will be reunited with his former LSU teammate Joe Burrow in Cincinnati.
The draft day position over/under for both Pitts and Chase was 5.5 – the under hit with both.
Penei Sewell, who was the top offensive lineman in the draft, also was listed at over/under 5.5.
Sewell went to the Detroit Lions with the seventh overall pick.
Panthers surprise with Horn
The Carolina Panthers surprised when they drafted cornerback Jaycee Horn with the eighth overall pick.
Horn was +300 to be the first defensive player off the board.
He was also +200 to be the first cornerback selected.
Patrick Surtain II, who was the betting favourite to be the first corner drafted, went to the Denver Broncos with the ninth overall pick.
Five quarterbacks go in first round
The over/under for quarterbacks selected in the first round was 5.5, with the over juiced to +400.
Lawrence, Wilson and Lance went 1-2-3.
Justin Fields went 11th overall to the Chicago Bears.
Jones went 15th to the Patriots.
However, the back half of the first round didn’t feature a single passer.
The under 5.5 quarterbacks drafted in the first round closed at -400.
Thanks in large part to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, the draft was trending hours before the first overall pick was announced.
ESPN Insider Adam Schefter’s report that Rodgers and the Packers had reached a breaking point added another level of intrigue heading into the first round.
While Green Bay did not make a trade on Thursday night, the rumours of a potential trade that would send Rodgers to the Denver Broncos generated some significant movement in NFL futures markets.
Shortly after the report surfaced, the Broncos went from +6000 to +2000 to win the Super Bowl.
Denver also went from +3000 to +1000 to win the AFC.
While it’s still nothing more than speculation at this point, it was fascinating to see several sports books react to the rumours and make the effort to get in front of any potential trade.
As for the actual draft, the third overall pick didn’t disappoint.
Forty-niners select Lance third overall
Less than 24 hours before the NFL Draft, Trey Lance was +300 to be the third overall pick.
However, that number started to move when it was leaked that Mac Jones was not the quarterback that the San Francisco 49ers were targeting with that selection.
By the time the draft got underway, Lance’s odds to be the third pick had shifted all the way from +300 to -180.
Jones, who was the consensus favourite to go third overall at -200 odds the night before, had moved to +150.
The late steam was justified when the 49ers made Lance the third overall pick.
Jones fell to the New England Patriots at 15th overall.
Pitts top non-quarterback selected
The Atlanta Falcons made Kyle Pitts the highest drafted tight end ever when they selected him fourth overall.
Pitts, who was -260 to be the top non-quarterback off the board, went immediately after Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Lance as the top three picks in the draft.
He also went one pick ahead of Ja’Marr Chase, who the Cincinnati Bengals made the top wide receiver off the board with the fifth overall pick.
Chase was -1200 to be the first wide receiver selected.
Chase will be reunited with his former LSU teammate Joe Burrow in Cincinnati.
The draft day position over/under for both Pitts and Chase was 5.5 – the under hit with both.
Penei Sewell, who was the top offensive lineman in the draft, also was listed at over/under 5.5.
Sewell went to the Detroit Lions with the seventh overall pick.
Panthers surprise with Horn
The Carolina Panthers surprised when they drafted cornerback Jaycee Horn with the eighth overall pick.
Horn was +300 to be the first defensive player off the board.
He was also +200 to be the first cornerback selected.
Patrick Surtain II, who was the betting favourite to be the first corner drafted, went to the Denver Broncos with the ninth overall pick.
Five quarterbacks go in first round
The over/under for quarterbacks selected in the first round was 5.5, with the over juiced to +400.
Lawrence, Wilson and Lance went 1-2-3.
Justin Fields went 11th overall to the Chicago Bears.
Jones went 15th to the Patriots.
However, the back half of the first round didn’t feature a single passer.
The under 5.5 quarterbacks drafted in the first round closed at -400.