The NFL Draft is just a few days away as the stars of college football are ready to join the league on April 27. As usual, it’s been an exciting few weeks leading up to the draft — which included the Panthers trading up to get the #1 overall pick.
It seems pretty obvious who Carolina will choose with the pick, but a slightly more interesting market is who will be the first wide receiver taken in the draft. That’s what I have broken down below, so check out the odds, preview and my best bet for the first wide receiver taken off the board.
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2023 NFL Draft odds to be the first wide receiver drafted
The title of first wide receiver drafted appears to be a 1-man race. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the Ohio State standout, is the heavy favorite to be the first wide receiver drafted. However, there are a few other receivers that could challenge Smith-Njigba for the title — like Boston College star Zay Flowers and USC speedster Jordan Addison.
Here are the odds for the first wide receiver to be picked in the upcoming draft.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba (-430)
Zay Flowers (+650)
Jordan Addison (+1000)
Quentin Johnston (+1100)
Jalin Hyatt (+2900)
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2023 NFL Draft wide receiver to be the first pick prediction: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (-430)
In nearly every mock draft, analysts have Jaxon Smith-Njigba going to the Houston Texans with the #12 pick. Smith-Njigba is an excellent athlete, and that runs in the family since his brother, Canaan Smith-Njigba, is in MLB on the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Ohio State star broke onto the scene in 2021 with 95 receptions for 1,606 yards and 9 touchdowns. He immediately rose into the discussion of the best receivers in college football, but a hamstring injury kept him from building off of his spectacular sophomore season. He played only 3 games as a junior and had 5 catches for 43 yards. However, Smith-Njigba is healthy and ready to begin his professional career; he is the clear choice to be the first receiver taken in the draft. But at these odds, it’s not worth much of a bet.
2023 NFL Draft wide receiver to be the first pick longshot: Zay Flowers (+650)
If you are looking for value and a freak athlete, Zay Flowers is your guy. Flowers was the sole bright spot in Boston College’s terrible season, as the speedy receiver hauled in 78 receptions for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns. He seems ready to make an immediate impact on any NFL team and could very well go 1 pick behind Smith-Njigba at #13 to the Packers. But several teams from pick #13 to #20 could also use a receiver, and Flowers has to be at the top of their list. Who knows, maybe a team trades up to get Flowers and beats out Smith-Njigba by a spot — but it seems more than likely that he will follow the Ohio State star on the draft board. It’s just tempting seeing +650 odds next to Flowers’ name.
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